UMB announces financial literacy online outreach to regional schools

Originally posted on the FRANKLIN ADVOCATE

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

United Mississippi Bank is working with Banzai, a national award-winning financial literacy program, to make online, remote-friendly curriculum available to schools in Franklin, Adams, Amite, Jefferson and Wilkinson counties along with Concordia Parish.

“Banzai is a web-based financial literacy program,” Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, said. “Kids get their own accounts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life. And because United Mississippi Bank is sponsoring it, local schools get it for free. More than ever, it’s important that kids develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world, and United Mississippi Bank realizes that and they’re doing something about it.”

Banzai is an interactive, online program supplemented by printed workbooks and aligns with Mississippi and Louisiana state curriculum requirements for personal finance education.The course work can be completed on any internet- enabled computer or mobile device, and teachers are able to monitor student progress remotely.

It has become the largest program of its kind, servicing more than 60,000 teachers nationwide. United Mississippi Bank has offered time, money, industry experience and a variety of bank resources to help local 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 – 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 unitedmsbk.teachbanzai.com or call 888-822-6924 for more information.