WILLIAMSPORT, Penn.–Horizon FCU facilitated and hosted a financial literacy assembly at Cochran Secondary School here.
More than 300 second and third graders met with Hedgie, a seven-foot colorful hedgehog. The students had just heard the story about how Hedgie applied strong financial knowledge to purchase a new bike, the credit union said.
Hedgie Buys a Bike tells the story of Horizon’s youth mascot and his quest to purchase a new bicycle. As children follow Hedgie along his journey, they learn important financial skills such as earning and saving money, earning interest from a savings account, budgeting, and making smart financial choices.
The 40-page full-color book was created internally with text and illustrations completed by Horizon staff. The credit union is using Hedgie Buys a Bike as a resource for their financial literacy program, which teaches skills such as budgeting, buying a home, increasing your credit score, and more.
Horizon said “education” is one of its core values and a key towards helping their members experience a brighter financial future.
“We wanted to create a story that would be relatable to children,” said Chief Branding Officer Michael Patterson, who is one of the book’s contributors. “Financial literacy is an important skill; unfortunately, one that is rarely taught in most schools. Like any important skill, developing good habits early is vital to being successful later in life.”
The students in attendance were treated to a reading of the book by Paige McHenry, Horizon’s training professional. McHenry incorporates different voices to bring each character to life. At the end of the reading, the students had an opportunity to meet Hedgie and receive their own copy of the book once they returned to class.
“The students really enjoyed the program and loved meeting Hedgie,” said Kristiann McQuown, a second grade teacher at Cochran. “They learned about the power of saving money through the book, and were even able to take a copy home to share with their families. It was a great way for our students to learn about saving money.”