Julie B greets a friend at a Sizzling Summer concert in Novi with plenty of fun things to share!

You may already know that our Student-Run Credit Union team works tirelessly during the school year to provide exciting and educational opportunities. But did you know that they provide assistance and services during the summer as well? This summer, our Education Partnership Coordinators (EPCs) were hard at work helping the community with fun activities, educational presentations, and more!

If you’ve been to a Youth or Kid’s Concert this summer, you’ve probably seen our EPCs in their orange Summer of Sharing T-Shirts, passing out giveaways and spreading the Community Financial spirit to the community. Plymouth’s Music in the Park, Northville Tunes on Tuesday, Canton Tuesdays are Terrific, and Novi Sizzling Summer are just a handful of the great concert partnerships we were fortunate enough to cultivate this year.

Our EPCs also had the opportunity to participate in Money Mondays, a summer day camp program through the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. During Money Mondays, our team members visited Bentley Elementary four times throughout the summer with educational presentations designed to help campers learn financial skills to last a lifetime.

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Wixom Elementary joined in partnership with Community Financial in Fall of 2019. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced the program to take a pause in March of 2020. However, Wixom’s Student-Run Credit Union was back in action last fall and better than ever! Student members have been saving their money throughout the year, and volunteers have been busy learning the business of banking along with other job-related skills. It has been quite a comeback! 

Supporting Our Partnering School Districts

Community Financial believes strongly in supporting school districts with the funding that they may need. Donations are made annually to educational foundations (when applicable) in our partnering school districts. Wixom Elementary is part of the Walled Lake Consolidated School District (WLCSD), and therefore, donations have been made since 2018 to their foundation, the Foundation for Excellence.

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Assistant Manager of the Atlanta Branch, Trena S,  explains the selections on housing and making good financial choices.

Hillman High School, in Montmorency County, recently teamed up with Community Financial to engage their students in a dose of financial reality! Hillman High School’s eleventh and twelfth grade students participated in a Community Financial sponsored “Reality Fair,” where students were asked to navigate the world of finances as adults!

The “Reality Fair,” developed by CUNA (The Credit Union National Association) and used by credit unions around Michigan, is designed to engage students in making money-smart adult choices. Students begin the Reality Fair by receiving a profession with a set salary and credit score. After students are taught about credit card debt, credit scores, student loan payments, and setting a monthly budget, they are tasked with choosing their transportation, housing, child care, home essentials, food, clothing, and more. The goal is for students to build a monthly budget within their set means, while simultaneously learning about the costs of necessary goods and services.

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Mrs. Mueller's 4th grade class at Edison Elementary listen to EPC Michelle R. read "Joe the Monkey Saves for a Goal."

Happy March is Reading Month! Community Financial’s Education Partnership Coordinators participate in many “March is Reading Month” activities in our partnering schools, and are very busy reading to students this month! 

Financial education is represented in several fun and engaging books for students of all ages. Fourth grade students at Edison Elementary in Westland, for example, recently listened to Education Partnership Coordinator (EPC), Michelle R., read “Joe the Monkey Saves for a Goal.” With this book, and many others in the Money Mammals series, students can learn about saving their money at an early age in a fun and engaging way.

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Coordinator Amy P. and D-Pozit making the rounds on PCSA Wagon Deposit Days!

This year our Education Partnership Coordinators had to get creative! The goal was, and continues to be, ensuring that our youngest Community Financial Credit Union members stay safe while being able to reach their savings goals. Through-out the pandemic thus far, there have been a number of methods developed to enable students to make deposits at their schools. Some students even got to enjoy the experience of working the Student-Run Credit Unions while keeping socially distant!

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