On March 3, 2005, a gathering of policy-shapers, thought-leaders and decision-makers met for The National Summit on Economic and Financial Literacy to promote the benefits of economic and financial literacy to individuals, families, businesses and communities. The ultimate goal of the Summit was to ensure that everyone has the real-life skills they need to succeed, to be able to think and choose as knowledgeable consumers, savers and investors, responsible citizens, productive members of the workforce, and effective participants in a global economy. Americans are experiencing a seismic change in the way our economy works--marked by fundamental changes in the marketplace. Outsourcing, global competition, technological change in the workplace, the future of pensions and social security--all of these issues now fuel the great economic debates of our time. America's workforce is expected to take on increasing responsibility for their own financial welfare and future. "Ownership society" and "self-reliance" are new watchwords for the 21st Century. The skills of making informed economic and financial decisions are critical to achieving responsible citizenship. Practical economics skills are learned. Just as young children learn to read, so must they learn basic, yet vital, principles of economics and personal finance. There is no better way to guarantee fluency than to start young and to reinforce that learning throughout life. Financial and economic literacy is the foundation of a strong national economy. The Summit participants agreed they were charged to lay that foundation in our schools by managing the integration of public policy; private sector; program development; professional development for teachers; and testing and assessment.