In the News

Students throughout Ottawa County learn financial literacy

Lizzie Fitts •

24 Jun 2021 • 2 min read

Local educators are continuing to take advantage of new and innovative ways to offer remote learning opportunities

Originally posted on Port Clinton News Herald

Port Clinton students tour the local Wendy's location as part of a job orientation. As the students begin earning their own money, they will be in a better position to manage the income through the school's financial literacy program.

PORT CLINTON - Even as the pandemic appears to be winding down, local educators are continuing to take advantage of new and innovative ways to offer remote learning opportunities to students on a variety of topics.

One of those topics close to the heart of officials at Commodore Perry Federal Credit Union, a bank based in Ottawa County with branches in Port Clinton, Oak Harbor and Elmore, is that of “financial literacy,” which is why they have sponsored more than a dozen local elementary and middle schools so they can offer courses for their young students on just that.

Commodore Perry FCU partnered with Banzai, an online financial literacy program, to make its resources available to a total of 17 Ottawa County schools, including ones in Port Clinton, Benton-Carroll-Salem, Genoa, Danbury and Woodmore.

The program covers topics such as building a budget, tracking where one’s money is, recognizing trade-offs and many other practical financial topics to give students a foundation to build a sound financial future.

It has become particularly useful recently during what Jill Kozlok, director of engagement at Commodore Perry, described as “a time of uncertainty.”

Nicole Kochensparger of the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce talks to Port Clinton Middle School students about job applications and interview skills, which complements the financial literacy program offered remotely.

Commodore Perry and Banzai, which initially began their partnership in 2015, have been building upon it with the aim of improving financial literacy within the county by investing time, money, industry experience and credit union resources toward that goal.

The bank also offers presentations from its own locally based financial experts to the schools, hosted virtually or in-person, on various topics that align with Ohio’s state curriculum requirements.

Kozlok praised just how readily available the resources have been.

“My students have enjoyed learning through a game format, and it has allowed me to cover financial literacy standards with ease,” said Danielle Lajti, a teacher Bataan Memorial Intermediate School in Port Clinton.

Lajti said it also served as a great way for her students to start their online learning experience following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent closure of schools in Ohio, forcing educators to adapt quickly to remote learning on an unprecedented scale.

According to Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, the web-based program allows participants to create their own accounts and work through assignments, which are based on real-life situations. Commodore Perry’s sponsorship allows Ottawa County students to do so for free.

“More than ever, it’s important that kids develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world,” Vandagriff said. “Commodore Perry FCU realizes that and they’re doing something about it.”