Youth Financial Literacy has been a topic of concern around the country for many years. In response to this national crisis, Acadia Federal Credit Union (AFCU) partnered with the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) last year to form the AFCU – UMFK Financial Literacy Partnership. This collaboration has created a comprehensive program dedicated to educating youth about the importance of financial planning at key points throughout a youngster’s development. This partnership is supported by a Financial Education Grant from the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) that helps subsidize the implementation of activities, presentations and resource development for youth financial education.
After several months of research, planning and training, credit union and university representatives descended on second grade classrooms throughout the St. John Valley area to deliver the Benny Banks program. Students were introduced to an engaging curriculum of stories, pictures and interactive lessons to teach them about saving money and planning for long and short term spending goals. Positive feedback from teachers was reflected by outstanding evaluation summaries while anecdotes from students and parents proved that this program is informative in a fun way.
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