Now more than ever, America’s future depends on the success of today’s youth. Yet more than 1.2 million U.S. students drop out of high school each year — consigning themselves to a lifetime of near-certain economic hardship, while jeopardizing our nation’s competitiveness in the global economy. For America’s youth to have the opportunity to achieve financial success, they must first be empowered to navigate today’s complex economic realities.

Operation HOPE® and Gallup® have discovered how to measure the economic energy and financial literacy of America’s youth, which we believe is the greatest opportunity for future GDP and job growth. After an exhaustive review of existing job creation sciences and data, our conclusion is that our country’s greatest opportunity rests with 5th-12th graders.  Prior iterations of assessment and methodologies focused on measuring youth attitudes about financial literacy, to gain insight into how they envision their economic future, and to provide targeted training to help them achieve their financial goals.

This first-of-its-kind index serves as a key intervention to address the dropout crisis in America’s 2,000 lowest performing schools and their communities. By focusing on where the need is greatest, this initiative will demonstrate measurable impact on economic and educational outcomes.

Gallup-HOPE Index

Defining the Behavioral Economics of Students

 

Gallup, in partnership with Operation HOPE, measures the “what” and the “how” of hope. The “what” represents what a youth must do to move closer to his or her goals. The “how” determines how to maintain what he or she must do to ultimately achieve those goals. Operation HOPE brings demonstrated experience and a commitment to educate five million low-income youth about financial responsibilities and opportunities. Gallup brings a critical psychometric that measures two distinct variables — well-being and hope — to assess the effectiveness of financial literacy programs.

The Gallup-HOPE Index collaboration capitalizes on the diverse strengths of Gallup research and Operation HOPE outreach and empowerment programs, and is informed by an advisory board of financial literacy and youth and community development experts from government, nonprofit, and corporate backgrounds.

BENEFITS TO KEY CONSTITUENCIES

The Gallup-HOPE Index will serve a cross-section of constituencies, including government, education, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, by:

  1. •assessing hope, well-being, and financial literacy among American youth in targeted cities

  2. •exploring the effect of financial literacy education in the current school curriculum

  3. •linking youth attitudes toward financial literacy to hope and well-being, and assessing how all three measures relate to financial literacy among the adults in a youth’s life

  4. •providing policy-makers and community-based organizations with a tangible, continuous metric for youth financial literacy across America, and using that metric to rally support behind financial literacy initiatives

  5. •informing a new measure of community competitiveness

About Gallup

Gallup has studied human nature and behavior for more than 75 years. Gallup’s reputation for delivering relevant, timely, and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel is the cornerstone of the organization. Gallup employs many of the world's leading scientists in management, economics, psychology, and sociology, and our consultants assist leaders in identifying and monitoring behavioral economic indicators worldwide. Gallup consultants help organizations boost organic growth by increasing customer engagement and maximizing employee productivity through measurement tools, coursework, and strategic advisory services. Gallup’s 2,000 professionals deliver services at client organizations, through the Web, at Gallup University's campuses, and in more than 40 offices around the world.


About Operation HOPE

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been America’s leading Financial Literacy and Empowerment nonprofit. With a presence in 70 U.S. cities and South Africa, HOPE has raised more than $900 million in its pursuit of educating, assisting and inspiring the next generation of global stakeholders. With the support off more than 400 private sector companies, 1500 nonprofit organizations and schools and 100 government partners, Operation HOPE has provided over 1.2 million low-wealth individuals with economic education and financial literacy support and empowerment. Taking the lead at making sure our free enterprise system is relevant too all underserved individuals and communities, Operation HOPE has taken on the responsibility of piloting the Silver Rights Movement and ensuring that free enterprise and capitalism work to provide a better future for all. To learn more about HOPE, visit www.operationhope.org.