Madison, Wis. The National Credit Union Foundations (the Foundation) board of directors has approved 14 new Biz Kid$ Financial Education Grants for 2016-2017, totaling $75,200. These grants are distributed to encourage credit union organizations to use Biz Kid$ and its curriculum to enhance students financial knowledge and financial well-being. Biz Kid$ is the credit union funded public television series that teaches kids about money management and entrepreneurship.
"It is exciting to be able to fund these new Biz Kid$ initiatives," said Danielle Brown, the Foundations Director of Development & Donor Relations. "We hope that through the Biz Kid$ program, more students across America will be equipped with the tools to make better financial decisions and improve their financial futures."
Some highlights of the grant projects:
-
FirstLight FCU in El Paso, Texas. will host a five-day Biz Kid$ summer camp for 50 students entering grades 4-8 in their community. El Paso has one of the nations highest poverty rates, and this camp will provide financial literacy lessons and opportunities for youth in the area. At the end of the camp, each student will be set up with a savings account at the credit union.
-
Northern Hills FCU in Sturgis, S.D. will offer Biz Kid$ lessons to youth in the community ages 8-16 who participate in the Sturgis Area Afterschool Program, a program dedicated to keeping youth safe and educationally engaged.
-
Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation in Harrisburg, Pa. will hold educational sessions with their Young Professionals (YP) Network, teaching them how to implement Biz Kid$ in schools. The YP network will be able to deliver the Biz Kid$ programs to middle school students, which will expand financial literacy initiatives to this underserved group. It will also provide the YPs with the experience of showcasing credit unions work towards advancing financial literacy skills.
-
Tallahassee-Leon FCU in Tallahassee, Fla. will provide personal finance instruction using the Biz Kid$ curriculum to participants in the Tallahassee Future Leaders Academy, a summer employment program. The employment program provides youth ages 15-20 will the opportunity to gain professional work experience, as well as financial education.
-
UVA Community CU in Charlottesville, Va. will host a fall Biz Kid$ Career Pathways Expo for approximately 2,000 10th grade students on the campus of UVA. Participating high school students will receive Biz Kid$ career lesson plans and DVD sets, and at the expo will be given additional information about how Biz Kid$ can help them become financially savvy entrepreneurs. Teachers will also receive information packs to bring Biz Kid$ to their classrooms.
The other credit union organizations receiving grants include:
-
Buffalo Metropolitan FCU, Buffalo, N.Y.
-
Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation, Plano, Texas.
-
Credit Unions Care Foundation of Virginia, Lynchburg, Va.
-
Meadville Area FCU, Meadville, Pa.
-
Minnesota Credit Union Foundation, St. Paul, Minn.
-
Natco Credit Union, Richmond, Ind.
-
Rome Teachers FCU, Rome, N.Y.
-
Siskiyou Central CU, Yreka, Calif.
-
Southeastern Credit Union Foundation, Tallahassee, Fla.
Biz Kid$ is a financial literacy initiative launched nationally in January 2008 that teaches kids about money and business. The initiative includes an award-winning TV series, free classroom curriculum, outreach activities, and a website targeting children 9 16 years old. The Foundation is responsible for the fundraising and outreach of the program, and a coalition of over 300 credit unions and affiliates from across the country have helped exclusively fund Biz Kid$.
