Message from the chair.

• Author: Wunschel, Lee D.

By almost any standard, 2004-2005 was a successful year for The Ohio Society of CPAs' Educational Foundation and its award-winning programs, including:

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* Accounting Careers Awareness Program (ACAP-OHIO), an innovative career-development program designed for minority high school students

* Accounting for Kids[R] Day, a volunteer-driven financial literacy initiative featuring use of a stock market game for fifth-grade students to provide fundamental lessons on finance

* Student Ambassador Program, which helps promote the accounting profession on university campuses across Ohio through peer-to-peer interaction

* Scholarship Programs, which provide financial awards to outstanding college students majoring in accounting.

These are all wonderful programs that are helping to support our mission of promoting financial literacy and the profession of accounting.

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Last November, 7,000 students in 270 classrooms across Ohio--a new record for the program--participated in Accounting for Kids[R] Day. That remarkable achievement certainly would not have been possible without the generosity of about 800 CPA volunteers and others across the state who gave of their time to share their knowledge and experience.

Nor would it have been possible without the generous contributions of Society member donors, because each of those 270 Accounting for Kids[R] Day classrooms last year cost about $150 to sponsor.

The time and financial investment required to sponsor and grow our Foundation programs is considerable. That's why I think it is a well-deserved tribute to the volunteers and donors who drive our efforts that Foundation programs have earned honors this year to add to the Foundation's expanding collection of state and national awards. These include:

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* 2005 Associations Advance America Award of Excellence -- Accounting for Kids[R] Day, sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives

* 2004 State CPA Society "ACE" Award -- Accounting Careers and Education, sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

I also want to give credit for these accomplishments to the members of the Foundation board, who are listed on the inside back cover, and the Society staff who work with them. Clearly, they have established and performed to exceptionally high standards that have benefited thousands of Ohio students, the Society, the Foundation and the profession.

THIS COMING YEAR...