WASHINGTON — The American Bankers Association Foundation is calling for banker volunteers to register for its annual Teach Children to Save campaign and other 2016 financial education initiatives.
Now in its 20th year, the Teach Children to Save program is a national campaign that encourages banker volunteers to visit schools or youth groups in their local communities and present savings lessons. Teach Children to Save Day will be celebrated on April 29, but bankers can hold their lessons throughout the year.
“Early introduction to money concepts and financial discipline is key,” said Rob Nichols, ABA’s incoming president and CEO. “By presenting students with these financial education fundamentals, bankers set them on a path toward a financially fit future.”
“Equipping the next generation with the money skills they need to be successful is an important job and there is no one better suited to take it on than bankers,” said Corey Carlisle, ABA Foundation executive director. “This program provides them with the resources they need to get students engaged around smart savings habits.”
Registered bankers will receive real-time customer support, program and communication materials, and will be featured in a list of participating banks on the ABA Foundation’s website and in press materials. The ABA Foundation will host a free informational webinar, Teach Children to Save Basics, on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
ABA will also host a Teach Children to Save Banker to Banker Twitter Chat on March 16 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET for bankers across the country to share with one another their best practices, new ideas and insight into reaching young students through this campaign.
When registering for Teach Children to Save bankers can also register for the ABA Foundation’s other 2016 financial education initiatives:
- Get Smart About Credit program. This is a national campaign of volunteer bankers who help teens and young adults learn how to use credit wisely, protect their identity, and pay for higher education. Although celebrated in October, bankers can give their lessons throughout the year.
- ABA Foundation Book Award Program. The ABA Foundation and First Book have joined forces to put the “literacy” in financial literacy and provide 20,000 books to students in 2016. Through the book award program, banks will have an avenue to provide books as part of money skills presentations at schools across America. The program is open to banks of all sizes who are registered for Teach Children to Save or Get Smart About Credit.
- Lights, Camera, Save! video contest. Through this nation-wide video contest, teens create short YouTube videos to communicate the value of saving and using money wisely. Banks host competitions from October through November and select a winner, or winners if contests are held in multiple states, to compete on the national level for a grand prize of $5,000. The ABA Foundation will announce its video contest winner in early 2017.
Since 1997, the ABA Foundation’s financial education initiatives have reached 8.2 million young people with the help of more than 245,000 banker volunteers.
Interested banks should register at aba.com/FinEd or call 1-800-BANKERS for more information.