Wisconsin CUs to Launch brass|STUDENT PROGRAM in Fall
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Starting next fall, the brass|STUDENT PROGRAM will help 35,000 Wisconsin juniors and senior high school students learn the money skills they need before graduation thanks to a donation from the Badger State's credit unions. The partnership between CUs and public schools was announced on May 10 during the Wisconsin Credit Union League 73rd annual convention here by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster.
brass|MEDIA founder and CEO Bryan Sims was there to make the announcement with Burmaster and WCUL President/CEO Brett Thompson after completing a tour of five New York high schools in six cities sponsored by individual credit unions in the Empire State.
"I'm happy that Wisconsin credit unions are doing this because they're in an innovative state when it comes to financial education for students. They really are very progressive here and this is our first direct partnership with a league. We'll start up in time for the new school year, so right now we're working on making CU contacts that have been doing outreach on their own. We want to coordinate our efforts so that we don't have overlaps and have the teachers who are already proactive in financial education familiar with our program," said Sims.
Thompson said that financial education was an important part of the league's REAL Solutions initiative. "We have 60 in-school credit union branches that are run by students and each year we sponsor teachers who attend a week-long seminar on how to teach financial education to students." But Thompson added that the brass connection takes it a step further because of its peer-to-peer connection. "The concept that younger people can relate to what they learn because it comes from another young person is hard to match, and brass brings that to the table."
The brass|STUDENT PROGRAM will distribute classroom sets of the brass|MAGAZINE Student Edition, a quarterly publication on money and how it relates to students. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with other materials. Teachers can also access the online brass|TEACHER RESOURCE CENTER for lesson plans and strategies that will engage students in lively discussion. Students will be able to use the brass|STUDENT RESOURCE CENTER Web site, a searchable archive or the magazine's content that also features a database of scholarships offered by credit unions.
Wisconsin was the first state to develop content and performance standards for personal finance at all levels, and Burmaster noted, "Whether a school teaches financial concepts as part of a business, economics, social studies, math or other course—and regardless of what curriculum they use—brass|MAGAZINE makes those ideas read for students. It helps them see in real life the application of the concepts they are learning. Preparing young people to understand and participate in their own financial well being is a vital personal skill."
Credit unions see funding the program as part of their mission as nonprofit cooperatives. "I hope my peers realize how much potential this partnership has to further improve the financial literacy of young adults and help secure the future of our state's economy," said Kevin Hauser, president of Westby Co-op Credit Union and a Wisconsin Credit Union League board director.
"Wisconsin credit unions have always been huge proponents of financial education and the brass|STUDENT PROGRAM presents us with an innovative and effective way to deliver financial education into our public schools," said Hauser.
Credit unions can play an integral part in student financial education, said Thompson, because state budgets are getting tighter and tighter. "I'd like to see what happens here be replicated in other states. It's hard to get tax funding to pay for these kinds of programs when there is a financial shortfall." Thompson declined to say what the sponsorship would cost except to say it was a "reasonable amount," given that it will penetrate the entire school system rather than benefit only a handful of schools.
"The success of brass|MAGAZINE shows that what many older people believe about young students—that they don't care about these kind of issues is completely wrong. They do care, and Bryan has tapped into that very effectively."
Sims was in New York during April making personal appearances on the brass Young Today Rich Tomorrow Tour, visiting five high schools across the state, including Kingston, Harlem, Long Island and Utica. Students in assemblies welcomed his message of the importance of savings and his advice on finance. He starts by telling the story of how he started brass|MAGAZINE, a lifestyle magazine for young adults, by young adults on less than a shoe-string budget.
Coming from someone their own age, students warm to advice they might ignore from parents and others, like not getting into credit card debt and just having to have that shiny new car (and payments). Sims' message of pursuing "what you really love and want out of life" is only enhanced when you don't have a mountain of debt to prevent you from achieving it resonates with students. "It's not just about having money," said Sims. "It's a lifestyle that embodies fulfillment, balance and compassion for others."
The tour celebrates the brass|STUDENT PROGRAM in New York, launched last August with the sponsorship of New York State credit unions and the N.Y. State Credit Union Foundation. Some 50,000 students in NY high schools receive brass|MAGAZINE and have access to other available resources.
Sims visited Kingston H.S, Harlem Renaissance H.S., East Isip H.S., Greece Athena H.S. in Rochester and Thomas Proctor H.S. in Utica courtesy of Municipal CU, Capital Communications FCU, AmeriCU, Bethpage FCU, Empower CU, Financial Trust CU, First New York CU, Mid-Hudson Valley FCU, the N.Y. State CU Foundation, The Lower East Side Peoples FCU, Suffolk FCU, Reliant Community CU, Advantage FCU, The Summit FCU, FirstSource FCU, River Community CU, MHV CU, and Members United CU.