Spring/Summer website copy
Copy:
The following copy can be customized and posted to your website during the spring and summer.
Financial literacy: a year-round priority at [CU Name]
April was National Financial Literacy Month, which provided us with an important opportunity to build awareness about financial literacy. Why is financial literacy so important? Consider these statistics: Only a quarter of Americans feel well informed about managing household finances, and America's teenagers as a group score a failing grade in basic financial literacy knowledge*. At [CU Name], we know that the only way to change these harmful trends is to make financial education available to everyone who needs it.
Check out our National Financial Literacy Month activities [Create link to your website where you’ve highlighted activities your credit union did for National Financial Literacy Month, National Credit Union Youth Week and/or National Youth Saving Challenge.]
We’re proud of our efforts in April, but we’re even more proud of the work we do all year long. Financial literacy is always a priority at [CU Name], which is why we partner with the New York Credit Union Foundation to offer free financial education programs for children and teens. Together, we’re making financial education available to those who need it most. To learn more about our financial literacy efforts, visit [website or call to action info]. To learn more about the New York Credit Union Foundation, visit www.nycuf.org.
Summer/Fall website copy
The following copy can be customized and posted on your website during the third quarter. We recommend posting photos from your financial education activities, as well.
[CU Name] is earning an “A” in financial education!
Money management is a crucial skill that every young person should learn…but only 29 percent of teachers nationwide are teaching financial education, and fewer than 20 percent feel “very competent” to teach personal finance topics.*
At [CU Name], we’re committed to making sure our teachers and students get the financial education resources they need. That’s why we partner with the New York Credit Union Foundation to deliver presentations and free financial education materials to our local schools.
Here are just a few ways we’re earning an “A” in financial education:
[Note: Bullets should be customized based on your credit union’s activities.]
• Every year, we supply New York high school teachers and students with free, award-winning financial education curriculum**. As a result, teens learn a series of critical skills, like how to make a personal financial plan and budget, how to manage credit, how to use financial services and how to adapt their lifestyles and habits to meet financial goals.
• On [insert date], we [sponsored/participated in] a local financial education training session, where [##] teachers, credit union staff and other community volunteers learned how to teach financial education curriculum and educate youth about topics like investing, new credit card regulations, bankruptcy prevention and tax preparation.
• We sponsor the brass|STUDENT PROGRAM, which provides local students with free issues of brass|MAGAZINE, a lifestyle money magazine written by young adults. The program also offers free online resource centers for both students and teachers.
• [Highlight any other workshops, events or classroom presentations.]
To learn more about our financial education efforts, contact [Contact info]. To learn more about the New York Credit Union Foundation, visit www.nycuf.org.
*Teachers’ Background & Capacity to Teach Personal Finance study, published in 2010 by the National Endowment for Financial Education
**National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP)
Fall/Winter website copy
The following text can be customized and posted on your website during the fourth quarter.
[CU Name] offers financial education for all ages
No matter your age, you can increase your financial literacy this fall. Check out the resources we’re offering in partnership with the New York Credit Union Foundation:
Kids age 5-12: Get your Kid’s Cash Kit & Caboodle.
These free kits feature money boxes for “spending, saving and sharing,” a family guide, a financial goals poster, a glossary, an age-appropriate activity book and more. Stop by and get yours today!
[Note any other programs your credit union offers for children.]
Youth grades 6-12: Take the LifeSmarts challenge.
This free, game-show style competition tests your knowledge of personal finance, consumer rights and responsibilities, technology, health and safety, and the environment. Teams can join the 2011/2012 LifeSmarts competition any time before early February, so [visit www.nycuf.org > Financial Education > LifeSmarts to learn more.] or [if you want to form a team, contact us today.]
[Note any other programs your credit union offers for teens.]
Adults: Make financial education a family affair.
The NEFE® High School Financial Planning Program® website (link to http://hsfpp.nefe.org/parents/index2.cfm?deptid=16) has a section just for parents, where you can find helpful articles and more. Biz Kid$, the award-winning television series underwritten by America’s Credit Unions, is another great way to make financial education fun for the whole family. In addition to watching the episodes together, you can download lessons, activity sheets and other materials on the Biz Kid$ website (link to http://www.bizkids.com/coolbizstuff_parents.aspx).
[Note any other workshops or online tools your credit union offers for adults.]
To learn more about these financial education resources, stop by your local [CU Name] branch or contact us at [contact info].
