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If Maine credit unions were getting graded for the success of the award-winning Financial Fitness – Money Management Experience fairs during the 2017/18 school year, there is little doubt it would be an A+. While some financial education activities from the past year are still being documented, the unofficial total shows that a record-setting 8,774 students participated in one of the more than 50 in-person or online financial fairs that took place this past year.
“It’s really exciting to see the enthusiasm and commitment on the part of credit unions (and students) continue to increase when it comes to financial education. During the past year, Deering High School, Yarmouth High School, and Mt. View High School were among the schools holding their first fairs. There were also smaller fairs held in other schools for the first time, and 2018/19 school year looks like new fairs are tentatively being planned for Freeport High School, Hall-Dale High School, and Waterville High School, with interest from other schools, as well. The impact of the fairs are creating a positive conversation not only within high schools where they are happening, or classes and students doing an online fair, but other schools are hearing about the fairs and wanting to get in on them,” remarked Jon Paradise, Vice President of Public Affairs and Engagement for the Maine CU League.
Paradise said that, while in-person fairs increased this past school year, more than 3,000 students engaged in financial education through the online version of the fair. “Some schools had their students do the online fair first and then the in-person fair.”
In addition to reaching a record number of students, the Fairs continue to be streamlined to enable Chapters and/or individual credit unions to hold more fairs with fewer volunteers needed. “The League, in coordination with Chapters and the Maine CU Financial Literacy Council, will continue to look at ways we can make holding a fair easier; thus, more fairs can take place and more students can participate,” added Paradise.
The two largest fairs of the 2017/18 school year were the Aroostook Chapter of CUs Fair, which reached nearly 450 students in May; and the Thornton Academy Fair, coordinated by York County CUs, which counted nearly 400 students as participants.
Scheduling for the 2018/19 school year has begun, and the League is hoping to build on the record-setting number of participants from this past school year, and reach even more in the coming year.
Founded in 2004, nearly 55,000 students have attended and/or participated in a Maine CU-coordinated Financial Fitness Fair.