Tag: schools

WCU Joins Forest Grove High School Career Expo

WCU’s booth at the Forest Grove Career Expo

On Tuesday, March 6th, Hundreds of sophomores, juniors, and seniors filed into Forest Grove High School’s gymnasium, perusing the nearly 50 organizations there during Willamette Education Service District’s “Career Expo at Forest Grove HS”.

“I just got accepted to BYU,” said one senior girl, who was planning on becoming an engineer.

“I’m not sure where I want to go to school, but I know I want a job in finance,” said another.

Fittingly enough, among those present in Forest Grove was Wauna Credit Union (WCU). Credit unions are not only excellent examples of cooperative, people-based institutions, they’re also great places to start a career.

WCU’s Member Relationship Officer, Stephanie Pesio, alongside Communications Specialist, Michael Murdoch were on hand to talk about the benefits of joining and working for a credit union.

“We have so many opportunities for young people at Wauna,” said Pesio. “WCU has an internship program for current high school kids, too. We have full-time employees who have risen in the ranks here long after starting as interns,” she added.

All told, about 100 students stopped by WCU’s booth. There was, of course, a bowl of candy present and a chance to win $50 for filling out a short survey. With questions like “What is the difference between a bank and a credit union?” and “Can you name three credit unions?”, the survey helps WCU gauge young peoples’ understanding of the industry.

“I think a credit union is local and does loans, right?” said one Forest Grove High School junior.

“There’s still a lot of confusion over what exactly a credit union is,” said Murdoch. “But we did a lot of teaching.”

Though their credit union education might need some work, WCU is looking forward to a larger presence in Forest Grove. Later in 2018, construction begins on WCU’s newest branch. WCU’s presence will account for only one of two credit unions in the area.

“We look forward to the future and are excited to be involved in the schools, the city, and in the community,” said Murdoch.

Teaching Children Financial Literacy

Until 1997 Oregon required personal finance classes. While schools are supposed to weave a host of things into their teaching, the reality is that most schools offer few, if any, financial literacy lessons. That means it’s up to you to teach your children important money lessons.

Two school children smiling

Paying the bills
Most kids don’t think about what keeps the lights on or the Internet powered at home. Talk to them about paying the bills. Explain that, if you fail to submit money every month to utility companies, there’d be no running water, TV, etc. It’s a good way to get them to start appreciating the role of money in day-to-day life.

Savings account
Introduce the concept of saving money by opening a savings account in your children’s names. You’ll have control, but they’ll start to get a sense of responsibility. Plus, they can see cash go in and out, earn interest and more. It’s a great, real-world experience that takes the piggy bank to the next level.

Managing money
The best way for children to learn about money is to actually have some. Whether it’s allowance, income for chores, or birthday money, give them cash when it’s appropriate and let them choose how to spend it.

They’ll probably be tempted to blow it all at once, so talk to them about priorities. Should they spend their cash on candy right now, or put some away for that bike they’ve been saving for?

Don’t forget, teaching your kids to manage their money now can put them on the path to financial success later in life.