JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo.–Arsenal Credit Union said educating people of all ages so they become smarter with their money continues to be a focus. Its most recent effort involves partnering with Everfi, Inc, an education technology company, to bring web-based learning this semester to students at a public high school, with plans to expand the program to another three area schools in the fall.
McCluer North in Florissant, Mo., is the first high school to be “adopted” by Arsenal. The credit union is providing Everfi’s platform to the school and its students at no cost. The interactive program uses the latest in new media technology – simulations, avatars, gaming and adaptive-pathing – to bring complex financial concepts to life for today’s digital generation. At McCluer North, 289 students are benefitting from the program.
“We are excited to offer students an innovative educational experience that uses the tools they love – digital learning and gaming – to teach this important topic,” said Jenny Remes, a certified educator in personal finance at Arsenal who has personally given more than 200 customized classroom presentations in the past 3-1/2 years as part of her job as marketing coordinator.
Relevant financial topics are covered in the 10-unit course, including credit scores, insurance, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, taxes, stocks, savings, 401k plans and other critical concepts that map to national financial literacy standards. The platform uniquely tracks the progress and score of every student.
Other financial education resources that Arsenal uses to teach high school students come from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). For middle school students, the credit union mostly uses Biz Kid$ materials. Arsenal was an original sponsor of the Biz Kid$ program in 2007.