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Some of the thank you notes written by kindergarten students to Kelly Marie at Gardiner FCU thanking her for her time spent this past year teaching about financial education.
During the school year, Kelly Marie at Gardiner FCU spent nearly every week talking about financial education concepts with school children in five, local elementary schools. “It was focused on age-appropriate learning but with a heavy emphasis on making it fun,” Marie explained. Similar activities and engagement took place across the state, with more CUs spending time in the classroom as part of their approach to financial education.
In Aroostook County, NorState FCU has been working to dramatically increase its reach with financial education programs. “We are focused on offering financial education to local students, starting in elementary classrooms all the way through Senior Colleges offered at UMPI and UMFK. We have educational materials and we are ready for presentations to all age groups, and we saw a big increase in these programs this past year,” remarked NorState FCU’s Executive Marketing Director Denise Duperré.
Five County CU’s Joanna McCormick has been involved in financial education for many years now, and is enthusiastic about new opportunities to reach students. “I’m working with more schools now and looking for ways to reach more students. I’m spending a lot more time in the classroom, and seeing some great learning taking place. It’s been really positive for me, and I think the students, too.”
These three examples are just a few of the initiatives that credit unions are doing in Maine. A number of other CUs are actively engaged in similar activities including Adopt-A-School partnerships, which includes a financial education component through saving, serving as classroom volunteers for Junior Achievement, and spending time talking about personal finance at school Career Days.
For Marie, any financial education with children is time well spent. “I believe if we start them very young and continue to reinforce those lessons, we will raise a more financially responsible generation.”