Pinnacle Bank provides local schools with Financial Literacy Program

Originally posted in the Springtown Epigraph Newspaper.

Local students are getting a free education on how to manage their money.

Pinnacle Bank is working with Banzai, a web-based and national award-winning financial literacy program, to make an online, remote- friendly curriculum available to 80 schools, including Azle and Springtown.

“Kids get their own ac- counts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life.” Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, said. “But because Pinnacle Bank is sponsor- ing it, local schools get it for free. More than ever, it’s important for kids to develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world, and Pinnacle Bank realizes that and they’re do- ing something about it.”

Banzai is an interactive, online program supplement- ed by printed workbooks and aligns with several state curriculum requirements including Texas, for personal finance education. The course work can be completed on any internet en- abled computer or mobile device, and teachers are able to monitor student progress remotely. It has become the largest program of it’s kind, servicing more than 60,000 teachers nationwide.

Pinnacle Bank has offered time, money, industry experience, and a variety of bank resources to help lo- cal schools teach personal finance in the classroom. Students using the program are exposed to real-life scenarios where they learn to pay bills and balance a budget, and it’s not always easy. Students must learn to manage unexpected expenses such as parking tickets, interest charges and over- draft 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 pinnbank.teachbanzai.com or call 888-822-6924.