Take Charge America Institute | Take Charge America Institute

The Take Charge America Institute

Welcome to The Take Charge America's official webpage.

Find out more about the Institute and our programs below.

The Take Charge America Institute

The Institute’s mission is to create research-based educational outreach programs to improve financial literacy and help consumers to make informed financial choices in today’s complex markets. A major endowment gift to the University of Arizona in 2003 from the credit counseling agency Take Charge America established the Institute. Located in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, the TCAI has focused its efforts during its first five years on educating young people how to manage their finances and make informed choices as they move into adult life.

Building Financial Security

Do credit reports or the idea borrowing money feel overwhelming? Would you like a clearer picture of how you spend and save your money? Building Financial Security for Self, Family, and Community takes an in-depth look at managing money. Take control by prioritizing expenses creating a spending plan & making SMART goals. Learn how to build and use an emergency fund. Understand different types of insurances and how they can support you. Learn to use credit responsibly and decrease the time and interest you pay on loans. Understand how your credit report is made, how to read it accurately and dispute inaccurate information. Discuss strategies to keep your information safe and improve your credit score.

Take Charge Cats

The Take Charge Cats, formerly the Credit-Wise Cats, began in 2000 with just 5 University of Arizona students, educating their peers on campus. Today, the Cats have grown to a team of 15 ambassadors. The Cats have extended their educational outreach efforts by improving the financial literacy of youth throughout Tucson high schools, middle schools and community organizations.

APLUS Study

APLUS is a research study that finds pathways to happiness. Healthy relationships, responsible financial decisions, and personally meaningful work are three pillars of adult happiness. Achieving stability in these life domains can be viewed as setting the foundation for adult happiness.

How do young adults develop the knowledge, skills and values that lead to long-term stability and happiness? To answer this question, we launched the Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students research project in 2007 (also known as “APLUS”) to examine the factors that shape individual pathways to adult stability and happiness.

Learn more about this study

Littles Count: Big Change!

Financial literacy starts early. In this early childhood education program “number sense building block” concepts are introduced through storytelling and play.

University of Arizona volunteers and participants, “Littles”, will have an interactive reading, a fun follow up activity and take-home resources. These sessions will take place throughout the state in early childhood education centers and community spaces.

These resources are easy-to-practice at home activities, links to other library books and University of Arizona programs.

Explore the Littles Count: Big Change! website

Take The Arizona Saves Pledge

Make a pledge to yourself and create a simple savings plan that works. Complete the Pledge and America Saves will send you short email and text reminders, resources and tips to keep you on track towards your savings goal. Become part of an entire community of savers. Get started now by Taking the Pledge here!