Jovia Financial Credit Union celebrates re-opening of Commerce Plaza and introduces Curio, a family friendly financial education program and mobile app
Credit union reaffirms commitment to financial literacy and education for young people and Long Island families
Executives from Jovia Financial Credit Union, one of Long Island’s largest credit unions, along with many Nassau County educators and elected officials joined Commerce Plaza leadership and local teachers, students and parents to mark the complete return of Commerce Plaza’s award-winning business and finance educational program. The program was hosted Commerce Plaza in Levittown, New York on Friday, October 28, 2022. With the support from Jovia, Commerce Plaza now returns to 100 percent capacity, working with local school districts across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
During the re-opening ceremony, representatives of Jovia also introduced Curio, the credit union’s new financial education program and mobile app, developed to incentivize youth with banking features and rewards. Jovia is the first and only Long Island credit union to leverage the power of technology and use it to enhance financial literacy among young people and their families. Curio was designed to be fully integrated within the credit union’s mobile banking and online platforms.
“Commerce Plaza is the perfect location to introduce our new app, Curio, to assist young people to learn how to save, earn and be financially responsible. We are sure that Curio and its many benefits will be well received by a new generation of Jovia members and their parents,” said Peter Purpura AVP Business Development.
Closed during the pandemic and only partially re-opened during the 2021-2022 school year, Commerce Plaza is a unique, hands-on educational program for all of Long Island’s 127 districts that wish to participate. The program provides the opportunity to learn about the work world, finances, and economics through a simulated, business environment. The program is designed for fifth and sixth grade students that take on the role of retail operators and providers of services for consumers, for a full day, following a six-week curriculum in their home schools. More than seventy-three thousand (73,000) children have been through the program since its inception.
“Educating young people about business, finance and savings is an important part of building a strong foundation for life and careers. Commerce Plaza puts these young people on a path to success, and at Jovia, we share the same mission and vision,” said Chaka Adams, Vice President Marketing and Community Relations.
“The program and experiences we offer at Commerce Plaza empower young people and gives them an opportunity to know what it is like to work, cash checks, use an interactive teller machine (ITM), operate a business, and interact with fellow employees. Due to the pandemic, we were forced to shut down our program for nearly two years. We are grateful to our partners such as Jovia Financial Credit Union and our other sponsors for their support which has allowed us to reopen for the entire school year. We can now continue our meaningful work with school districts,” said Adrienne LoPresti, LCSW R, Executive Director of YES Community Counseling Center, who operates Commerce Plaza.
Jovia’s partnership with Commerce Plaza is focused on fostering a heightened desire to achieve financial awareness and success. With Curio, parents can immediately start rewarding their children as they learn smart financial habits. The colorful and friendly mobile application and online interface was designed for young people giving them an interactive tool where they can request money from parents, set and track monthly budgets, get paid for chores and borrow money from parents in the form of a loan.
Jovia and Commerce Plaza staff celebrate the re-opening of Commerce Plaza alongside students and New York State Senator John Brooks (Center).
Back Row Mark Wenzel, LMSW, Assistance Director, YES Community Counseling Center; Peter Purpura, AVP, Business Development, Jovia; Chuck Price, SVP, Corporate Administration, Jovia; Robert Zotti, Chief Strategy Officer, Jovia; Ashley Prager, Digital Marketing Manager Front Row Rich Tavarez, Community Relations Officer, Jovia; Renu Dalessandro, Chief Marketing Officer, Jovia; Christine Bentley, VP, Project Management, Jovia; Nina Smith, Chief Operations Officer, Jovia; Chaka Adams, VP, Marketing and Community Relations, Jovia; Adrienne LoPresti, LCWS-R, Executive Eirector, YES Community Counseling Center; Robin Block, SVP, Organizational Process Management, Jovia; Trish Graffigino, AVP, Marketing, Jovia.
School children learning to use an ATM as part of a financial education program at Commerce Plaza
Commerce Plaza is a financial literacy program at YES Community Counseling Center’s Levittown location. Supported by school districts and sponsors, the program provides students with hands-on experience by assigning them a job in a simulated business community that replicates actual work experience. Students learn about leadership, budgeting, operating a business, banking skills, and teamwork. Founded in 2000, Commerce Plaza has hosted over 73,000 students across Long Island and currently serves an average of 5,000 students annually. This program promotes the importance of early employment preparation, financial health, and vocational security. Students of diverse socio-economic backgrounds are exposed to many professions within their reach. Parent and community volunteers are encouraged participate in an effort to support the program’s success. To get involved, call (516) 342-9232, email commerceplaza@yesccc.org, or visit www.yesccc.org/commerce-plaza
