Anoka Hennepin Credit Union helps students
meet graduation standards

COON RAPIDS, Minn. April 2004 – Through a relationship developed with Anoka High School in 2001, Anoka Hennepin Credit Union is teaching financial education to students and helping achieve graduation standards at the same time. Carla Bebeau, 11-year Training Coordinator at AHCU, visits Adele Erickson’s family consumer science classes once per trimester to assist in a classroom assignment.

As a part of the graduation standards at Anoka High School, students are required to do a comparison of products and services from four different financial institutions. As a member of AHCU, Erickson approached Bebeau to be a guest speaker in her classroom. The topics covered include checks and check endorsements, credit worthiness, preventing identity theft, credit cards and debt, payment plans and the difference between credit unions and banks. The credit union also supplies the six-week classroom materials to the school, which features their logo.

“While I do mention the differences between banks and credit unions when speaking, I don’t shove the credit union down their throats, so to speak. I don’t want it to be a sales pitch,” Bebeau said. “Instead, we use this opportunity more as a learning tool for the school and the students.”

Bebeau is in favor of such standards that mandate financial literacy, because learning about money and how to properly manage money “requires elements of all the standard lessons – reading, writing and arithmetic.” She has a strong belief that financial education must be taught in schools and not exclusively at home. When doing classroom presentations, she draws on experiences from her own life, specifically the time one of her children wrote a bad check.

“I know from personal experience that, as a parent, your message doesn’t always get through,” Bebeau said. “So maybe if they hear it from an industry professional, they’ll be more likely to pay attention.”

In addition to working with high school students in Anoka, she has also had requests to speak at Coon Rapids, Andover and Champlin High Schools.

“Credit unions have a social responsibility to their members and communities to encourage financial responsibility at a young age,” said Jeff Claussen, AHCU President & CEO. “If we can help them get on the right road before they make financial mistakes, they will be better prepared for the many decisions they need to make in the future. AHCU’s continued involvement in these programs makes our communities a better place to live and work.”

Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union uses
hands-on learning to teach financial education

MELROSE, Minn. July 2003 – Ninety-eight first graders crammed into one building? Most people would say, “No way!”

But not Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union (CMFCU) in Melrose, Minn. Every fall and spring for the past 15 years, the credit union has been welcoming crowds of students into their office to teach kids about credit unions. They punch their time cards as credit union “employees,” find out how to use the coin counting machines and the drive-up window, and learn practical lessons about money and saving while touring the vault.

Every year the first grade class at Melrose Elementary School does a “Home Town Tour,” visiting area businesses around Melrose, and the credit union is always a favorite stop. “The kids love it – [the credit union employees] are always very nice, polite and generous,” said Karie Swenson, first grade teacher at Melrose Elementary. “It gets kids in the mode of learning how to save and spend money, and shows them that there are a lot of different ways to do that.”

All of CMFCU’s branch offices – including Albany, Paynesville, Freeport, Grey Eagle and Sauk Centre – do credit union tours and/or classroom presentations for elementary and high school students, as well as community organizations like the Girl Scouts.

“The tours not only help out the students by teaching them about credit unions, but it builds trust,” said Jenny Mayers, marketing manager for CMFCU. “The kids and their parents feel more comfortable with the credit union, we feel more comfortable with them as members, and they are able to better understand our daily operations.”

Mayers, who has been working at CMFCU for 10 years and is also a member of the Family Involvement Council, has done more than 20 tours over the years. She coordinates all the tours and presentations, and involves staff from every department.

Central Minnesota FCU’s pledge is to be “united to serve members and community,” and they strongly encourage employees to become involved within the community.

“For all communities, and especially where we’re located, the school is really the center of the community,” said Rick Odenthal, President of CMFCU. “Since we’re non-profit, it’s important for our members to see that we are giving back to our community. When making donations, giving back to schools in your community allows you to get the most bang-for-your-buck – it has a multiplying effect.”

In addition to the personal tours of the credit union, CMFCU also does classroom presentations in various schools around the area. As part of Melrose Area High School’s curriculum in its automotive classes, credit union employees talk to students about applying for their first loan, the importance good credit, insurance coverage, and more.

CMFCU is also very active in high schools’ career days. The human resources department takes students through the hiring and interviewing process, and even brings them into the credit union to get a flavor for all other aspects of credit union life, such as marketing, programming and training.

City-County Federal Credit Union makes financial education a priority

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. October 2006 – Credit unions are well-known and nationally recognized for their role in providing financial education. As each year passes, more and more credit unions are making this a major focus of their day-to-day operations. >From in-house member education to financial literacy presentations in classrooms and community organizations, the message is loud and clear – credit unions care about their communities and about the financial well-being of their members.

In fact, last year alone, credit unions around the country made 9,351 classroom presentations reaching 285,730 students (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006).

City-County Federal Credit Union (CCFCU) in Brooklyn Center is one of those credit unions that takes member and community education very seriously. In March of this year, CCFCU hired its first full-time staff member specifically dedicated to financial education – Tiffany Kirk, Financial Education Specialist.

Kirk is a former teacher with four years of experience in elementary education. She received her Bachelor’s degree in marketing management and subsequently earned her teaching license. Due to budget restructuring and changes within the district at which she taught, Kirk decided to make a leap outside the teaching world in an effort to combine her skills in marketing and education.

“Our first focus at the credit union is obviously on our membership, but this position was created to tap into potential members and educate people in the community,” Kirk said. “It helps to be able to let people know that credit unions are not ‘big, scary monsters,’ but are actually very beneficial to the communities that surround us.”

Kirk spends approximately 50 percent of her time out of the office, teaching financial education to students in schools, adults in the community, and members of the credit union. She has worked over the past six months to fine-tune CCFCU’s curriculum, which includes elements from the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program, Liberty’s boom! training, Wells Fargo’s Hands on Banking, and other resources. She said that she will continually work to perfect the lessons she teaches and add age-appropriate materials and hands-on activities.

Jerry Deyo, CCFCU’s Vice President of Marketing, was highly involved in the process of hiring Kirk and stressed the importance of hiring a former educator.

“I wanted someone who had experience in the educational community,” he said. “Having a licensed professional gives us more credibility.”

He is also excited for Kirk to become more established in the community and in the area schools.

“As far as I know, [financial education] is something that a lot of schools aren’t doing,” Deyo said. “These poor kids come out of high school and they’re bombarded with credit card offers, they don’t know the first thing about credit scores, and it’s really easy for them to get in trouble.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to at least start some kids off on the right foot when they do go out in the real world – at least give them the basics,” he added.

Kirk currently teaches more than 20 courses per month on a wide variety of topics, including credit scores, checking, online banking and other financial basics. She also works with CCFCU’s youth Savasaurus Club and the teen/young adult boom! program.

“It’s good for the kids in the community,” said CCFCU President & CEO Dean Nelson. “From a business standpoint, we’re tired of having to compete with other banks for checking accounts when kids get older. Our goal is to provide the education foundation, get kids in the door when they’re young, and keep them at the credit union for the future.”

Minnesota credit union featured on Twin Cities' major-market teen news show

CIRCLE PINES, Minn. (April 2006) - Ask Anoka County Federal Credit Union about its recent exposure on NBC television in the Twin Cities metro area, and they'll shrug and say, "Whatever."

Matt Lasiuta, Anoka County FCU's Retail Services Manager, was featured on the popular teen news show "Whatever" on March 25 (and re-aired on April 2) for his energetic and engaging efforts to teach money management and financial planning to high school students. "Whatever" airs on NBC-affiliate Kare 11 on Saturday mornings. Lasiuta was filmed while speaking to a classroom at Crossroads High School in Coon Rapids.

"My credit union strongly believes in the financial education of our youth," Lasiuta said. "The issue is that youth aren't educated because their parents aren't educated. You've got to start somewhere - we might as well start with this generation."

For more than four years, Lasiuta has been involved in classroom education in the northern Twin Cities metro area. However, in the past year, Anoka County FCU made a conscious effort to realign its focus, placing a larger emphasis on youth education and youth involvement in the credit union. In addition to the credit union's other products and services, Anoka County FCU offers a youth club, a teen checking program, and a college student lending program.

As the hosts of the show "Whatever" show said, "It's never too early to take charge of your financial future," and she encouraged teens to take an active role in money management.

Both in the classroom and in the "Whatever" feature story, Lasiuta covers a wide range of financial topics, including credit, credit card applications, buying a car, credit union membership and the credit union difference. He has created his own curriculum of sorts over the past four years, and he modifies his content to fit particular audiences. He also provides teachers with supplemental teaching information from the National Endowment for Financial Education's High School Financial Planning Program.

"When I go into [high school classrooms], I gear almost everything in question form - I'm there to educate, not to lecture or talk down to them," Lasiuta said.

He offers the following tips for today's teens:

        build credit early;
        maintain and monitor your credit;
        build a relationship with a financial institution;
        never make minimum credit card payments unless you absolutely have to;
        pay your bills on time; and
        don't overextend yourself.

"It's hard to have good credit," Lasiuta said to the students at Crossroads High School. "One of the hardest things you'll ever do in your life is keep your credit good."

He recommends that teens create a chart to examine needs vs. wants and income vs. expenses. Having a visual helps adolescents and adults alike learn how to save and budget for the future.

As a final word to teens, Lasiuta said, "If you have questions about your finances, ask someone - your bank, your credit union, your parents or your teachers. Because the decisions you make now are going to affect you for a long time."

Lasiuta is a member of the Minnesota Family Involvement Council, which works to enhance the future of the credit union Movement by promoting financial awareness, financial education and full-family involvement in Minnesota credit unions. He makes classroom presentations several times per month to a variety of different classes.

To view the money management segment featuring Anoka County FCU, visit www.whatevershow.com/show and click on the "financial planning" link.

Postal CU partners with local high school to hone marketing efforts

ST.PAUL, Minn. April 2005 – Postal Credit Union (PCU) in Woodbury is working with Tartan High School DECA students for the fourth consecutive year to create marketing pieces that will appeal to the credit union’s teenage members. The students conduct research and then write credit union direct mail brochures, web site articles, and more.

The venture gives DECA students at the Oakdale, Minn., school the opportunity to learn more about marketing while helping PCU develop promotions that will appeal to its 13-17 year old members. DECA, which stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a nationwide club that was formed in 1946 to help interested students develop skills in marketing, management and entrepreneurship.

“This is one of the many ways PCU is working to make a positive difference in the communities we serve,” said PCU President Russ Plunkett. “By providing high school students with hands-on marketing experience, we are giving them an opportunity to further their education in an area of interest to them.”

Tartan High School DECA teacher Craig Spreiter shares similar feelings about the partnership.

“The pieces that have been created are incredible, and the students love seeing their ideas come to life,” Spreiter said. “I appreciate working with organizations like PCU who really do value the community.”

Kids club success story: Red Lake Co-op Federal Credit Union

RED LAKE FALLS, Minn. Oct. 2004 – Every time you turn around these days, survey results are confirming the importance of youth involvement in credit unions.

1. If you do not reach someone by the age of 25, the percentage of bringing them into your credit union is reduced by half. -- CUNA Mutual Group

2. The average credit union stands to lose $14 million in loans alone if they do not increase their penetration of 18-24-year-olds. -- Credit Union National Association

3. “Improving basic financial education at the elementary and secondary school level will provide a foundation of financial literacy that can help prevent younger people from making poor decisions that can take years to overcome.” -- Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan

But too many credit unions – especially those with few staff and limited resources – are unsure of how to engage this valuable resource.

Five years ago, Red Lake Co-op Federal Credit Union in northwestern Minnesota was in that very situation. A $4 million credit union with just under 1,000 members, RLCFCU decided it was time.

“I noticed that we had a lot of kids coming into the credit union with their parents, and I thought that they might as well become members too,” said Harvey Bakke, 10-year member of the Minnesota Family Involvement Council (FIC) and 16-year volunteer at Red Lake Co-op FCU. “Not only does the kids club benefit the credit union, but it provides practical knowledge and hands-on experience of saving and money management for children.”

They pitched the idea to the credit union Board of Directors and, upon approval, began the project with $500. Money was spent on brochures, advertising, cards, a “goody bag” (activity book, pencil, ruler, etc.) and other rewards. All club members are required to make a minimum $5 deposit, to be maintained in their account at all times, and pay a $1 membership fee. Current credit union members can join the club at no cost.

“Harvey’s involvement on the FIC helped get us going, but it’s really not difficult to do,” said Phyllis Audette, Treasurer/Manager of Red Lake Co-op FCU. “Get the kids involved at a young age, teach them how to save, and show them how their money grows, and they will stick with the credit union in the future.”

RLCFCU’s kids club has various membership benefits. Club members receive a ½% higher dividend rate and receive a reward with each deposit of $1 or more. Also with each deposit, the member’s name gets entered into quarterly prize drawings. The quarterly winner’s picture is featured in the local newspaper and displayed at the credit union. Club members also receive birthday cards, holiday cards, and are eligible for periodic contests.

Today, Red Lake Co-op FCU has 129 kids club members 12 years of age or younger, and it continues to grow. In addition, they implemented a teen club in 2003.

“Our kids club has really grown into something great, and it was easy to start and maintain,” Bakke said, encouraging all credit unions to “just go ahead with it!”

Community volunteers collaborate to teach
Junior Achievement in Sleepy Eye

SLEEPY EYE, Minn. Jan 2004 – Four years after the introduction of Junior Achievement (JA) in Sleepy Eye, Minn., the program is now in full swing. Dick Nesvold, President of St. Marys Federal Credit Union (SMFCU) in Sleepy Eye, is a member of the JA board in neighboring New Ulm. Seven SMFCU staff members volunteer their time to work with local schools, teaching kids in kindergarten through sixth grade the basics of community, business and economics.

Junior Achievement is a national program involving volunteers from local communities charged with inspiring kids to learn the economics of life through free enterprise education. This program enables business professionals to share their experiences with students to show them what it takes to be successful.

Worldwide, JA reaches out to four million students each year, including local chapters in Bemidji, Brainerd, Crookston, Duluth, Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud, Thief River Falls, New Ulm and the Twin Cities. Currently 107 classes are being offered in Sleepy Eye and New Ulm, with the assistance of 92 volunteers.

Nesvold spends a majority of his JA volunteer time with sixth grade classes in Sleepy Eye. He primarily focuses on world trade, teaching about transportation, natural resources and currency.

“It’s fun to see the kids and to help build awareness about community businesses and the economic structure of various countries. It’s important for youth to have an understanding of how the economic world works,” Nesvold said. “Plus, it’s a way of getting exposure in the community, so it’s a benefit to the credit union as well.”

Over the past four years, the SMFCU volunteers have taught one-hour lessons throughout the school year on the subjects of ourselves, our families, our community, our city, our region, our nation and our world.

In addition to the credit union, New Ulm and Sleepy Eye’s 92 volunteers come from businesses large and small, including Kraft, 3M and Del Monte, as well as the local insurance company, funeral home and bank.

“Just having a presence in the classroom promotes credit unions a lot, even though we’re not dealing directly with finances or talking about credit unions the whole time,” said Angie Pidde, JA volunteer and Compliance Officer at SMFCU. “It’s really neat when the kids come into the credit unions and they recognize you.

“The teachers appreciate it so much and they really recognize those businesses that get involved and take the time to come into the classroom,” Pidde added. “We really enjoy getting involved in activities that happen within our community that not only involve the credit union.”

As the JA program in Sleepy Eye continues to grow, the Sleepy Eye participants eventually hope to become self-sufficient enough to create their own chapter independent of New Ulm. But until that time, the cities will continue with their collaborative efforts to teach today’s youth about the ways of the world within and beyond their communities in southwest Minnesota.

NEFE HSFPP curriculum gets an A+

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. Jan. 2005 – The National Endowment for Education (NEFE) and its High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) curriculum has been gaining a lot of momentum in the past few years. As more and more financial institutions, schools and organizations stress the importance of financial education, many are turning to the HSFPP for its thorough, structured coursework.

But that’s nothing new to Linda Meline, Marketing Specialist at Teacher Federal Credit Union in Minneapolis. Meline, who is in her 33rd year of employment with the credit union, has been working with the HSFPP for five years. Since August of 2000, she has ordered and distributed 13,495 copies of the curriculum for use in Minnesota schools.

“Teachers love this program because it’s free and it’s available to them,” Meline said. “I like the simplicity of [the HSFPP], that it’s user-friendly, and that the kids can follow along with it.”

In Meline’s opinion, financial education needs to be taught at home and in the schools. These days credit cards are offered to teens at such young ages, that she does not think youth are aware of what they’re getting into. “It’s obvious to me that many kids do not understand the ramifications of credit or even how to use and reconcile a checking account,” Meline said. “A lot schools have been forced to drop these programs in the past few years due to budget cuts, but teachers do say that kids definitely need [financial education] their curriculum.”

Being a credit union specifically geared toward educators, Teacher FCU had a natural interest in the NEFE program. When Meline first learned of the HSFPP curriculum, she admits that she wasn’t exactly sure how to market it. She sent letters to school districts, curriculum directors, and eventually principals to determine what methods were most effective. She also attends several educational conventions – especially those geared toward business, math and special education teachers – armed with information and samples of the HSFPP.

Teacher FCU also advertises the availability of the HSFPP in the credit union’s member newsletters and in the local teacher’s unions’ newsletters.

“Teacher Federal Credit Union is a perfect example of one of the ways credit unions can get involved in financial education,” said Jeff Hegna, Chairman of the Minnesota Family Involvement Council. “There are many different approaches – some credit union employees actually go into the classroom and teach, while others assist the schools by promoting or supplying the curriculum.”

“No matter what type of involvement you have in furthering financial literacy efforts, the important thing is to get involved!” Hegna added.

Meline has distributed the HSFPP curriculum to nearly 500 schools and teachers reaching a variety of ages, from 8th grade students to seniors in high school and even into the junior college level. She also makes a handful of classroom presentations throughout the year, if teachers have a certain need.

“I believe that the need out there is so great, that if we offered to teach in schools on a regular basis, we’d probably be full time teachers!” Meline said.

“Linda is terrific,” said John Parfrey, Director of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program. “And while we at NEFE are thrilled and gratified with her efforts to promote our program, the deepest value in what she is doing has been to provide thousands of young people with the opportunity to learn things which will make a dramatic positive difference in their future lives.”

United Educators Credit Union helps to
“Prepare Bloomington”

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. Oct. 2003 – Since beginning its partnership with the Normandale Hills Elementary School late last year, United Educators Credit Union has nearly one full year under its belt of credit union visits, classroom lessons, and school involvement.

In December of 2002, UECU announced its involvement in the “Prepare Bloomington” program, coordinated by the Education Foundation of Bloomington in partnership with the Bloomington Public School District and the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the program is to enhance the quality of education in the Bloomington schools and the quality of the work force for businesses by establishing and maintaining high-caliber and creative partnerships between schools and businesses. The program was established in Bloomington’s District 271 in 1994.

“It’s a great way for young kids become financially literate early on, and the students benefit from learning about a wide variety of money matters from credit union employees who have first-hand experience,” said Andrea Molnau, UECU Marketing Director. “It’s also a way to educate the community on the credit union difference.”

Every business involved in the program works with an individual school to coordinate its own partnership activities. Currently, all 15 schools in the district are covered by 24 businesses. Over the past year, the credit union has organized tours of the credit union, spoke at PTA events, and worked at book sales, carnivals, fundraisers and more. The credit union also periodically contributes articles on youth financial literacy to be published in the school newsletters that go home to parents.

But despite all the work UECU has done with the Normandale Hills Elementary, Molnau said that the affiliation with the school has “truly been a partnership.” The elementary school students have provided artwork for the credit union offices and have also supplied articles for the credit union’s youth newsletter. “It gives the kids a lot of different ways to be able to contribute to a business in their community,” she said.

“It is a wonderful partnership that has been established with the credit union in the past year,” said Debbie Belfry, Career Development Coordinator for Bloomington Public Schools. “They are very enthusiastic partners and have come up with all sorts of ways to benefit each other.”

On deck for UECU is a PTA book sale fundraiser, and the school’s annual “Our Town” activity. The third grade social studies classes set up a mock town where students are responsible for various business operations, including running their local credit union. UECU staff are on-hand at this event to teach students the “real world” aspects of working at a credit union.

Moose Lake partnership involves credit unions, banks, and schools

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – In the Moose Lake area, the passion for increasing youth financial literacy is active and thriving. This passion has united people from various institutions to work together to improve students’ financial knowledge. These individuals form the Moose Lake Financial Committee, which focuses on enriching youth, providing skills and improving lives.

The Moose Lake Financial Committee is composed of employees from Lake State Federal Credit Union, First National Bank of Moose Lake, the University of Minnesota Extension and Moose Lake Community Schools. The school representatives include the superintendent, elementary school principal, high school principal and two elementary school teachers.

Though small in number, the Moose Lake Financial Committee has made significant steps over the last two years toward improving financial education in Moose Lake.

“The financial committee has brought into the schools various curriculum that teachers can use,” Moose Lake Community Schools Superintendent Tim Caroline said. “They helped us to coordinate our curriculum much better so that kids are introduced to the same concepts each year but at different levels.”

The committee has spent much of the past two years meeting with area teachers and administrators to review and evaluate what the schools’ curriculum teaches kids about finances. Using this information, the committee is currently compiling a variety of financial activities that elementary teachers can integrate into their current curriculum. The committee will present these activities at a staff development training session in the fall. These resources are intended to be short, turn-key and easy to implement.

At the high school level, the committee is promoting High School Financial Planning Program curriculum created by the National Endowment for Financial Education. Lake State Federal Credit Union and First National Bank of Moose Lake are working together to meet with teachers and provide them with instruction on the curriculum. The glue that holds this unique partnership together is each institution’s commitment to the committee’s mission.

“The bank and the credit union in Moose Lake both share a passion for teaching kids about finances,” said Terry Burn, committee member and employee of Lake State Federal Credit Union. “We’re sharing our resources and presenting to the community a unifying front between the two financial institutions.”

The momentum driving the committee forward is the shared interest and passion in youth financial literacy, Becky Hagen Jokela of the University of Minnesota Extension noted. The committee is dedicated to helping youth have a better understanding of finances once they leave school.

“We hope to provide youth with the right tools to make future financial decisions. When they go out on their own, these tools will enable them to make wise decisions,” Hagen Jokela said.