Texas Credit Union Foundation: H.S. Students Benefit from Texas Credit Union Foundation 'Make the Difference' Campaign
H.S. Students Benefit from Texas Credit Union Foundation 'Make the Difference' Campaign
H.S. Students Benefit from Texas Credit Union Foundation
‘Make the Difference’ Campaign
Supports Credit Union Initiatives that promote, encourage financial literacy
Core Facts:
Unity One Credit Union receives “Make the Difference” grant
Make the Difference campaign encourages financial literacy
Foundation commits $10,000 in grants to support credit union projects
Media Elements:
Teen Advisory Board photos available at http://www.tcul.coop/PRPho
Audio interview with Courtney Nickles and Erayne Hill available at http://www.tcul.coop/Video
Video interview with high school junior Courtney Graviett available at http://www.tcul.coop/Video
Where you can find us:
Look for the Texas Credit Union Foundation on Facebook at www.facebook.com
Look for the Texas Credit Union Foundation online at www.tcuf.coop
Look for the Texas Credit Union League on Facebook at www.facebook.com
Look for the Texas Credit Union League on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TX_CU_L
Look for the Texas Credit Union League on Blog Talk Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/tcul
Look for the Texas Credit Union League online at www.tcul.coop
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 – (Dallas, TX) – Keller High School junior Courtney Graviett is well aware of the consequences that come with making poor financial choices and she is determined not to fall into the debt trap that far too many American families struggle to get out of. Graviett serves on the Teen Advisory Board at Unity One Credit Union in Fort Worth, and thanks to a grant from the Texas Credit Union Foundation (Foundation), Graviett and other members of the Teen Advisory Board are able to host house parties where they share with their peers the importance of smart money management, including the importance of saving, budgeting and spending wisely.
“I have seen far too many of my peers, and adults for that matter, get themselves in trouble by spending beyond their means, and I don’t ever want to be in debt,” said Graviett. “The lessons I am learning through my involvement in the Teen Advisory Board will better prepare me for the financial responsibilities that come with adulthood.”
Unity One’s Teen Advisory Board is comprised of high school juniors and seniors in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw and Keller school districts. The primary responsibility of the Teen Advisory Board is to engage in peer to peer learning. To ensure they are prepared, credit union staff who themselves received training on the National Endowment for Financial Education High School Financial Planning Program (NEFE HSFPP) from the Foundation, teach each of the Teen Advisory Board members a different unit out of the NEFE curriculum so that they are comfortable then presenting this material to their peers.
Courtney Nickles, interim executive director with the Foundation notes that the NEFE curriculum is Texas Education Agency-approved, and meets all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements for course instruction in personal finance. The NEFE curriculum is built around seven target competencies, 43 learning objectives and 53 learning outcomes.
Unity One Credit Union is just one of the credit unions in Texas to receive a “Make the Difference” grant from the Foundation. In April, the Foundation committed to giving a total of $10,000 in grants to Texas credit unions in support of projects that empower people young and old to make smarter financial choices. The Foundation chose April as the debut month for this program because April is National Financial Literacy Month. However, Nickles is quick to point out that we must continue to promote and encourage financial literacy awareness and education not just in April, but throughout the year.
“It is our hope that the ‘Make the Difference’ campaign not only heightened awareness of the financial illiteracy problem in this country, but also served to further strengthen financial education efforts by the nearly 570 credit unions in our state,” said Nickles.
About Texas Credit Union Foundation™
The Texas Credit Union Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation and a component of the Texas Credit Union League, which represents the state’s credit unions. The Foundation’s mission is empowering people to improve their financial well-being. It supports financial education initiatives throughout Texas, with special emphasis on encouraging credit union staff and members to volunteer their time teaching financial education in the schools. For more information, visit www.tcuf.coop.
About the Media Elements: Courtney Graviett, a member of Unity One Credit Union’s Teen Advisory Board hosted a House Party in her home May 6, where she presented a unit out of the NEFE curriculum to her peers. In a video interview, Graviett explains what she has learned from her involvement with the Teen Advisory Board and why she thinks it is so important for teens to learn money management skills. In an audio interview, Nickles and Erayne Hill, director of community and public relations with Unity One Credit Union, discuss the importance of financial education and the role credit unions are playing in improving financial literacy in this country.
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‘Make the Difference’ Campaign
Supports Credit Union Initiatives that promote, encourage financial literacy
Core Facts:
Unity One Credit Union receives “Make the Difference” grant
Make the Difference campaign encourages financial literacy
Foundation commits $10,000 in grants to support credit union projects
Media Elements:
Teen Advisory Board photos available at http://www.tcul.coop/PRPho
Audio interview with Courtney Nickles and Erayne Hill available at http://www.tcul.coop/Video
Video interview with high school junior Courtney Graviett available at http://www.tcul.coop/Video
Where you can find us:
Look for the Texas Credit Union Foundation on Facebook at www.facebook.com
Look for the Texas Credit Union Foundation online at www.tcuf.coop
Look for the Texas Credit Union League on Facebook at www.facebook.com
Look for the Texas Credit Union League on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TX_CU_L
Look for the Texas Credit Union League on Blog Talk Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/tcul
Look for the Texas Credit Union League online at www.tcul.coop
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 – (Dallas, TX) – Keller High School junior Courtney Graviett is well aware of the consequences that come with making poor financial choices and she is determined not to fall into the debt trap that far too many American families struggle to get out of. Graviett serves on the Teen Advisory Board at Unity One Credit Union in Fort Worth, and thanks to a grant from the Texas Credit Union Foundation (Foundation), Graviett and other members of the Teen Advisory Board are able to host house parties where they share with their peers the importance of smart money management, including the importance of saving, budgeting and spending wisely.
“I have seen far too many of my peers, and adults for that matter, get themselves in trouble by spending beyond their means, and I don’t ever want to be in debt,” said Graviett. “The lessons I am learning through my involvement in the Teen Advisory Board will better prepare me for the financial responsibilities that come with adulthood.”
Unity One’s Teen Advisory Board is comprised of high school juniors and seniors in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw and Keller school districts. The primary responsibility of the Teen Advisory Board is to engage in peer to peer learning. To ensure they are prepared, credit union staff who themselves received training on the National Endowment for Financial Education High School Financial Planning Program (NEFE HSFPP) from the Foundation, teach each of the Teen Advisory Board members a different unit out of the NEFE curriculum so that they are comfortable then presenting this material to their peers.
Courtney Nickles, interim executive director with the Foundation notes that the NEFE curriculum is Texas Education Agency-approved, and meets all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements for course instruction in personal finance. The NEFE curriculum is built around seven target competencies, 43 learning objectives and 53 learning outcomes.
Unity One Credit Union is just one of the credit unions in Texas to receive a “Make the Difference” grant from the Foundation. In April, the Foundation committed to giving a total of $10,000 in grants to Texas credit unions in support of projects that empower people young and old to make smarter financial choices. The Foundation chose April as the debut month for this program because April is National Financial Literacy Month. However, Nickles is quick to point out that we must continue to promote and encourage financial literacy awareness and education not just in April, but throughout the year.
“It is our hope that the ‘Make the Difference’ campaign not only heightened awareness of the financial illiteracy problem in this country, but also served to further strengthen financial education efforts by the nearly 570 credit unions in our state,” said Nickles.
About Texas Credit Union Foundation™
The Texas Credit Union Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation and a component of the Texas Credit Union League, which represents the state’s credit unions. The Foundation’s mission is empowering people to improve their financial well-being. It supports financial education initiatives throughout Texas, with special emphasis on encouraging credit union staff and members to volunteer their time teaching financial education in the schools. For more information, visit www.tcuf.coop.
About the Media Elements: Courtney Graviett, a member of Unity One Credit Union’s Teen Advisory Board hosted a House Party in her home May 6, where she presented a unit out of the NEFE curriculum to her peers. In a video interview, Graviett explains what she has learned from her involvement with the Teen Advisory Board and why she thinks it is so important for teens to learn money management skills. In an audio interview, Nickles and Erayne Hill, director of community and public relations with Unity One Credit Union, discuss the importance of financial education and the role credit unions are playing in improving financial literacy in this country.
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