Credit union helps elementary students save over $40k

by. Amaia Kirtland

A Biz Kid$ Financial Education Grant from the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), helped Silver State Schools CU develop a program to teach elementary students the importance of saving.  At the end of the school year, students at Walter Bracken Elementary saved just over $40,000.

Silver State Schools CU, Las Vegas, used the funding to launch “Piggy Bank Project,” a collaborative effort initiated jointly with Walter Bracken Elementary School, The United Way of Southern Nevada, Young Philanthropist Society, Junior Achievement, and the Andson Foundation to offer real savings accounts for elementary students, while also providing in-class financial education to reinforce the habit of saving money.

Using Biz Kid$ videos in the classroom, students learned the important concepts of needs vs. wants, goals, budgeting and smart spending.

The project also included an on-campus piggy bank, which gave students the chance to put into practice the lessons they learned in the classroom.

“Collaborating in the community to provide financial education to youth through Silver State  Schools CU’s ‘Piggy Bank Project’ is a great example of the credit union mission in action,” said Danielle Brown, NCUF director of development and donor relations.

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