Pinnacle Bank Makes Award-Winning Financial Literacy Program Free for Local Classrooms
Area students are getting a free education in how to manage their money.
Originally posted on polkcountynewspaper.com
Pinnacle Bank is working with Banzai, a national award-winning financial literacy program, to make Banzai’s curriculum available completely free for students at Cross County Jr/Sr High School, High Plains Jr/Sr High School, Shelby-Rising City High School and Osceola High School.
“With Banzai, kids get their own accounts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life,” Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, said. “Because Pinnacle Bank is sponsoring it, local area middle and high school students get it for free. More than ever, it’s important that kids develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world.”
“Educating and supporting our youth is part of the foundation of our local communities,” Doug Lamoree, Market President of Pinnacle Bank-Shelby, said. “Pinnacle Bank is a community bank, and dedication to community and education are among our core values.”
Banzai’s interactive online program is supplemented by printed workbooks, which align with state curriculum requirements for personal finance education. Banzai has become the largest program of its kind, servicing more than 20,000 teachers and is available in all 50 states.
“We are excited to offer this program because it will assist the schools in teaching valuable financial skills using real life situations,” Doug Rathjen, Market President of Pinnacle Bank Osceola said.
Pinnacle Bank has offered time, money, industry experience and a variety of bank resources to help local schools teach personal finance in the classrooms. Students using the program are exposed to real-life scenarios where they learn to pay bills and balance a budget–but it’s not always easy. Students must learn to manage unexpected expenses such as parking tickets, interest charges and overdraft fees. The educational program also introduces students to auto loans, bank statements, entertainment costs, savings and more.
Teachers interested in using the Banzai program can visit www.teachbanzai.com or call 888-8-BANZAI.