Credit unions prove financial education is more than a lesson plan
Inside the lunchroom at Selah High School in Washington state, two juniors are doing something most teenagers never get to try: running a real credit union branch. Evie Hernandez and Zaiyra Garcia work as tellers at a Gesa Credit Union student-operated branch, helping classmates open accounts and make deposits during the school day. The experience has given them not just job skills but a new fluency in conversations about money—conversations they say are now happening at home, too.
That kind of ripple effect is exactly what credit unions aim for during Financial Capability Month each April. While banks and other financial institutions participate too, credit unions bring a distinct advantage: as member-owned cooperatives, they can design programs around community need rather than shareholder return. Across the country this spring, that difference is showing up in classrooms, community centers, and even bilingual family gatherings.
Selah’s branch is Gesa’s 25th high school partnership in the Pacific Northwest. Dominic DeClaire, the school’s business and marketing teacher, said the credit union handled nearly all of the setup.
“We’re always trying to create ways to give students some real-world opportunities,” DeClaire told the Yakima Herald-Republic. “Or just trying to think outside the box with different classes we can offer to students.”
Simulations that stick long after the bell rings
Hundreds of miles south in Merced, California, Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union took a different approach with the same goal. In late March, the credit union led a Bite of Reality® simulation at Golden Valley High School, where nearly 65 students were each assigned a fictional adult life—complete with a career, salary, credit score, and family—and challenged to manage a month of expenses. When unexpected “curveballs” like car repairs or medical bills hit, students learned fast that every dollar counts.
What set the Merced event apart was what came after the simulation. Students received access to the Zogo financial education app and a specialized Merced Resource Guide connecting them to local employment assistance, family safety programs, and utility-bill support.
“Teaching young people how to manage money is one of the most valuable gifts we can give them,” said Mirella Reznic, CEO of Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union.
In southeastern Wisconsin, Educators Credit Union will run its own Reality Check Day program early this month. It’s a hands-on budget simulation that forces students to confront the trade-offs of adult life—housing, groceries, debt, and surprise expenses. The program director has noted one of the most telling signs of impact: years later, he still runs into former participants in the community who remember him and the lessons they learned.
Reaching families where they are
Financial education does not have to start—or end—with students. In Whitewater, Wisconsin, Fox Communities Credit Union partnered last month with the local public library to host a Multi-Generational Family Finance Night delivered in both English and Spanish. The workshop explored how culture, emotions, and family dynamics shape money decisions, incorporating concepts like familismo and respeto that resonate with the local Hispanic community. Childcare and refreshments were provided to remove barriers to attendance.
The premise behind the event captures an idea at the heart of the credit union difference: “La educación financiera no solo cambia vidas, cambia generaciones”—financial education doesn’t just change lives; it changes generations.
Meanwhile, credit unions across Maine launched a new adult curriculum tackling one of the fastest-growing threats to financial well-being: fraud. The “Protecting Your Assets” curriculum, coordinated by the Maine Credit Union League, is a turnkey resource that credit unions can deliver through community organizations, from Rotary clubs to food pantries. It builds on a statewide fraud-awareness video produced in collaboration with the Maine Attorney General’s Office, State Police, and Legal Services for Maine Elders.
“Education is one of the most effective tools we have to stop fraud before it happens,” said Jake Holmes, Director of Outreach and Strategic Planning at the Maine Credit Union League.
The credit union difference in action
What ties these efforts together is a thread that runs through the credit union model itself. None of these programs exists to generate revenue or cross-sell products. They exist because member-owned cooperatives measure success differently—by whether the people they serve are better equipped to navigate their financial lives. As credit unions across the country mark Financial Capability Month this April, these programs offer a clear answer to the question of what makes the cooperative model different: credit unions do not just hold members’ money; they invest in making sure members know what to do with it.
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