Pinnacle Bank Sponsors Financial Course

Originally posted on the Schuyler Sun

Pinnacle Bank is working with Banzai, a national financial literacy program, to make curriculum available to Schuyler Middle School and Schuyler Central High School at no cost.

“With Banzai, kids get their own accounts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life,” said Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai. “Because Pinnacle Bank is sponsoring it, Schuyler’s 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, and Pinnacle Bank realizes this and is doing something about it.”

Banzai’s interactive online program is supplemented by printed workbooks, which align with state curriculum requirements for personal finance education. Banzai serves more than 20,000 teachers and is available in all 50 states.

“Community and education are part of Pinnacle Bank’s core values,” said Charles Heavican, Pinnacle Bank’s market president. “Providing an educational tool to help young people develop into responsible adults is a great way to support our youth in our schools.”

Students using the program are exposed to real-life scenarios where they learn to pay bills and balance a budget. They 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.

“Too often students get out of school, and they just aren’t ready for the financial roller coasters life can give us,” Vandagriff said. “Banzai teaches students to navigate those twists and turns and how to come out on top. We’re excited to work with Pinnacle Bank to improve financial literacy in our local schools.”