As part of its ongoing commitment to responsible banking, Union Bank, N.A., has partnered with the leading financial education technology company EverFi, Inc., as the first bank on the Central Coast to bring the company’s award-winning financial literacy education programs to students at schools and community organizations in the region.
The Union Bank Financial Scholars Program provides EverFi curriculum for middle and high school students and Vault curriculum for elementary school students. The program formally launched on November 12 at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara during the bank’s Global Volunteer Month. More than 75 youth took part in an interactive demonstration of the new financial education curriculum now at the club; enjoyed a reading of the book What a Bank Can Do by local authors John and Diane Tuzee; and participated in an interactive Q&A session with executives from the Club, Union Bank, and EverFi.
Through this partnership, Union Bank and EverFi will provide students with access to the Union Bank Financial Scholars Program at no cost:
• Central Coast 4th through 6th graders will have access to EverFi’s Vault curriculum, providing lessons on saving, budgeting, responsibility and decision-making, income and careers, credit and debt and more.
• Middle and high school students will experience the six-hour, ten-module, EverFi Financial Literacy curriculum, learning about banking, credit scores, insurance, credit cards, taxes, investing, saving 401Ks, mortgages and more.
• All students receive a Certification in Financial Literacy upon completing the Financial Scholars Program.
In June of 2013, Union Bank conducted an online youth survey with Harris Interactive® revealing that the majority our nation’s youth (83 percent) agree they should spend less of their money in order to save more and (76 percent) want to learn more about how to save money.
“Our children need financial education more than ever and as our survey shows, they want to learn more,” said Union Bank Executive Vice President and Regional President George Leis. “At Union Bank, we are proud of our volunteer service and providing financial education in our communities. Our partnership with EverFi will help us continue to invest in youth and bring financial education resources to them in new and compelling ways. We appreciate the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara’s continued partnership and commitment to helping students grow and succeed.”
“We are so happy to expand our relationship with Union Bank to further engage our students in financial education,” said Carolyn Brown, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara. “The Union Bank EverFi program will be a great resource for our students and will help set a foundation on which they can build over time. The program really brings complex subjects to life.”
At the kick-off event, elementary-aged children listened to nationally recognized children’s authors John and Diane Tuzee read their book What a Bank Can Do. The book explores the fun and importance of saving money through its main characters Luke and Linda. In the Club’s Computer Lab, students logged on to begin to explore the Union Bank Financial Scholars curriculum. Everyone came together for an interactive discussion on financial topics.
“EverFi is thrilled to launch the Union Bank Financial Scholars program on the Central Coast in Santa Barbara,” said EverFi Executive Vice President Mike Fee. “EverFi is powering a national movement to use technology to help students learn about financial literary and we are pleased to now start reaching students on the Central Coast with this first bank partnership.”