Pewaukee, Wis. - Wisconsin credit unions – not-for-profit, member-owned financial institutions owned by their 2.1 million member owners – have received their second consecutive Governor's Award for Financial Literacy for providing free to teachers and students at all 603 of the state's public high schools a personal finance program that supports state teaching standards. The brass STUDENT PROGRAM is an initiative to strengthen high school students' understanding of the money side of life through brass MAGAZINE and additional online resources.

"Credit unions not only see brass as a means to create responsible future borrowers. They also aim to improve the long-term financial health of Wisconsin by inspiring our young citizens to save regularly, use credit appropriately, avoid financial pitfalls and build wealth over a lifetime," said Governor Doyle. He cited the program last fall as spurring the best academic year ever for personal financial literacy in Wisconsin.

The brass STUDENT PROGRAM, produced and delivered by brass MEDIA Inc., has become a focal point of credit unions' statewide REAL Solutions initiative, whose aim is to build financially healthy families and communities regardless of profit. As not-for-profit institutions, credit unions exist to serve members, not make profits.

"Credit unions have done a tremendous service for Wisconsin by providing teachers with free resources that accomplish the financial learning goals the state has defined as critical for future financial independence," Gov. Doyle added. "The future of our state relies on the financial self-sufficiency of each new wave of graduates."

The Student Program sends a classroom set of brass MAGAZINE to every public high school in Wisconsin. brass is a lifestyle magazine written for young adults, by young adults about the money side of life. It features up-and-coming young adults making a difference, along with fundamental money and investment tips.

In addition, the brass STUDENT PROGRAM offers an online community for teachers, the brass TEACHER RESOURCE CENTER (teachers.brassmagazine.com), which offers complementing classroom activities based on the state's Model Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy. Students can use the Credit Unions for College website, at students.brassmagazine.com, to find college scholarships offered by the Student Program's credit union supporters.

Wisconsin credit unions' REAL Solutions initiative captured a Governor's Award in 2006. Winners are chosen by the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy, a Governor-appointed team of individuals and organizations seeking to improve financial literacy efforts around the state.