State Credit Union Wins National Youth Education Award
June 11, 2007
Columbia, SC— State Credit Union has won the national Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award, one of only seven credit unions in the country to receive the honor. The award, sponsored by the South Carolina Credit Union League and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), recognizes leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of youth financial literacy.
State Credit Union’s financial literacy program is distinguished by its statewide outreach to South Carolina educators through a partnership forged with ETV and the South Carolina Department of Education. Rather than visiting classrooms one at a time as many credit unions do, Suzette Morganelli, Director of Financial Counseling and Education at State Credit Union, created a program to provide ongoing resources and training to all South Carolina teachers charged with teaching financial literacy.
“My goals in building the Financial Education department at State Credit Union were twofold,” says Morganelli. “First, I wanted to make sure every South Carolina school had access to free financial education tools and training. Second, I passionately believe that the financial curriculum needs to be brought to students by our teachers who have the credentials and expertise to ensure the information is learned.”
State Credit Union initially recognized the need for a large-scale financial education program when South Carolina’s Financial Literacy Act was signed in April 2005. They created a video explaining how the NEFE program meets the financial literacy mandate, for use in broadcasting through ITV stations to schools and educators throughout the state.
“Many teachers and administrators in South Carolina were unaware that they can get free financial literacy materials for their classrooms,“ explained Morganelli. “NEFE provides comprehensive workbooks in both English and Spanish for instructors and students. They also can be used by clubs, organizations and home schoolers.”
Morganelli and ETV’s Bette Jamison worked with administrators at the Department of Education to establish Teacher Renewal Recertification Credit for completion of the “NEFE Financial Literacy Course”. The number of NEFE instruction manuals distributed in South Carolina jumped 40% from 2004 to 2005 to 24,650 books, and the state is on pace to exceed this number for 2006. South Carolina is now seventh in the nation in total NEFE books ordered since 2001.
The National Endowment for Financial Education was so impressed by Morganelli’s success that she has been invited to join their National Launch Committee responsible for the introduction of the newly revised NEFE High School Financial Planning Program.
The committee intends to replicate Morganelli’s program by partnering with ETV to produce a video workshop for national distribution.
For further details on State Credit Union’s Financial Education Program, visit www.scscu.com or contact Suzette Morganelli at 343-0300 ext. 8417.
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About State Credit Union
State Credit Union (www.scscu.com) serves more than 86,000 members throughout the state. Membership is open to anyone who participates in SC Retirement Systems, anyone related to an SCU member and to any individual who lives, works or attends school in Aiken, Anderson, Florence, Greenwood, Lexington, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland or Spartanburg County. State Credit Union has 17 branches located in 12 South Carolina cities and assets of $385 million.
