By Jonathan Turner,

DAVENPORT - The Quad-Cities is a model city nationally when it comes to improving residents' financial health, a U.S. Conference of Mayors official told local leaders Thursday.

"You have been recognized as being one of the premier financial literacy programs in the country, due to the comprehensive nature of the program, and the dynamic nature of the program," said Dustin Tyler Joyce, manager of the Conference of Mayors' National DollarWise Campaign.

"You look at your evolving financial literacy needs in a community that's growing and changing, and you adapt your program each year to meet the needs," he said at JA World during the second annual Mayors' Financial Literacy Breakfast.

The event was part of the celebration of National DollarWise Week, which included many local activities to help youth and families better manage and save their money.

Mr. Joyce and others discussed the importance of avoiding predatory lenders and payday-loan products, and urged "un-banked" residents people to invest in financial institutions. Wisely saving and having good credit are essential to becoming a homeowner, Mr. Joyce said.

The mayors of Davenport, Moline, East Moline and Rock Island, and Bettendorf's economic development director presented awards to strong supporters of DollarWise efforts.

They went to First Midwest Bank and Quad City Bank & Trust (two QC DollarWise founders); Dale Owen, vice president of lending at Ascentra Credit Union; Gena McCullough, chairman of Rock Island's Knowledge Through Neighbors Task Force; and the Boys & Girls Club in Moline for its innovative financial education plan to launch a youth-run bank.

The youth bank - part of a new teen center at 509-515 5th Ave. - would serve a primarily unbanked and "under-banked" population in Moline's Floreciente neighborhood, and provide "excellent job skills for young people," Moline Mayor Don Welvaert said.

Wednesday, the Moline Plan Commission recommended approval of the Boys & Girls Club proposal for a two-story building that would include a bank, kitchen/snack bar, game room, arcade, computer lab, recording studio, stage, fitness center, gymnasium, classrooms and offices.

The plans, which also call for an off-site parking lot to be built at 529 5th Ave., are expected to be considered by the city council Oct. 9.

At Thursday's DollarWise meeting, plans were announced to form a Quad-Cities Reinvestment Coalition, as an off-shoot of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). The NCRC had a regional conference in Davenport last month.

The local group would provide support and advocacy for cooperation of local financial institutions, said Shelley Sheehy, a Davenport consultant who serves on the NCRC board. The coalition would provide research, technical assistance, and promote greater community investment from banks, credit unions and other organizations, she said.

NCRC's mission is to increase fair and equal access to credit, capital and banking services/products. NCRC seeks to support and provide long-term solutions that include tools to building community and individual net worth.

For more information on DollarWise, visit www.qcdollarwise.org.