Pharos Library Project

The Pharos Library Project is an effort to promote financial literacy on an ongoing basis in the community. The goal is to help libraries become the focus of economic education by building a curriculum of various financial subjects. Like the lighthouse of Alexandria, we want to shine the bright light of knowledge to teach people how to navigate the world of economics and make good financial decisions to achieve their goals.

Content for these workshops is derived from programs Cygnet Institute has designed, field tested and used since 1989. As we expand these financial workshops, we will need to incorporate additional professionals in the respective communities who might be interested to become presenters in the Institute’s Financial Education Series. We anticipate that the more technical information will be presented by professionals with expertise in the relevant topic. Topics that do not require deep level subject expertise will be delivered by certified teachers. In order to protect the quality of the program and the reputation of the libraries, we intend to impose certain criteria on those who want to participate as instructors and presenters. The two main areas involve adherence to the Fiduciary Standard and incorporating in the presentation elements that encourage participants to utilize Critical Thinking.