Accredited Program Teaches Money Management to High School Students
SANTA ROSA, CA (May 22, 2014) -- Redwood Credit Union (RCU), in partnership with the Sonoma County Office of Education and Santa Rosa City Schools, will offer their 11th free 16-hour Financial Academy for local high school students. Using the High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) created by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), the program includes helpful topics such as budgeting, financial planning, saving and investing, credit and debt management, and other life skills related to managing money.
The Summer Banking & Finance Academy will be held June 17-20 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm at Redwood Credit Union’s Administrative Offices, 3033 Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa. While past Academies have been limited to high school juniors and seniors, eligibility has now been extended to include students entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade at any Sonoma County high school. To register online, visit www.redwoodcu.org/academy or call RCU at (707) 576-5259 to reserve your seat. Space is limited, so students are encouraged to register. Students enrolled in 11th or 12th grade at a Santa Rosa School District high school during the Fall of 2014 are eligible for one elective credit upon successful completion* of the course. A National Endowment for Financial Education certificate of completion is given to all students upon successful completion of the course. Certificates are presented during the graduation ceremony on the last day of the Academy.
“Nearly 400 students have graduated from our Banking & Finance Academies, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from students, parents, educators and local elected officials,” said Brett Martinez, RCU's President & CEO. “As a cooperative, providing free access to education and information is one of our guiding principles, and we strongly believe providing financial education—especially at a young age— helps people develop essential money skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.” While the Academies are well-received by the community, it’s Martinez’s vision that financial literacy will soon become a required component of the state high school economics curriculum.
Quotes from 2013 spring graduates:
· "I really REALLY ENJOYED this class. It exceeded my expectations. I'm considering taking it next year to refresh my financial literacy skills."
· "I don’t feel as lost and scared to become an adult."
RCU also offers adult financial literacy and outreach programs, and hosts a variety of free educational seminars and events for Members and the community throughout the year.
Founded in 1950, RCU is a full-service financial cooperative, offering competitive financial products and services to fulfill consumer and small business financial needs, including checking and savings accounts, consumer and mortgage loans, investments and more. The Credit Union also offers insurance and discount auto buying services through it's wholly-owned subsidiary, RCU Services Group. Anyone living or working in the North Bay can benefit from becoming a Member of Redwood Credit Union, which currently serves 230,000 Members with over $2.3 billion in assets. RCU has 18 full-service branch locations from San Francisco to Point Arena and throughout the North Bay. For more information, please call (707) 545-4000, toll-free 1 (800) 479-7928, or visit www.redwoodcu.org.