by Amy Snyder

Below is the sixth article in our series highlighting PA Forward’s partners.  Read on to find out more about our partner, their involvement in financial literacy, and how we can work with them to promote financial literacy.

Our Partner:  Pennsylvania Credit Union Association

Partner Profile:
The Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Credit Union Association (PCUA) is a trade association that provides legislative, promotional, educational, and operational support for credit unions in Pennsylvania.  Like many libraries, credit unions are nonprofit organizations.  Credit unions are owned by their members and provide affordable financial services to those members.  There are over 400 credit union locations in Pennsylvania with one in just about every community.  Read more about credit unions here.  For more information about PCUA click here or follow @PCUA on Twitter.

Resources for Libraries?

Financial Literacy Programming
Resources are available at each local credit union.  Most credit unions have a marketing, outreach, or financial literacy programming person.  Libraries should contact these individuals about providing materials (handouts, brochures, etc.) and programs at their library.

Grants
Libraries can partner with credit unions to apply for grants related to financial literacy from the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation.  Learn more about grants here.

Financial Reality Fairs
The Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation assists credit unions with offering Financial Reality Fairs.  This could be a program to offer your teens during your summer reading program.  Learn more about Financial Reality Fairs here.

Curriculum
Check out these resources for financial literacy curriculum and initiative ideas:

• National Endowment on Financial Education (NEFE) – Provides quality, free curriculum.
• BizKid$ – Provides curriculum that can be used in conjunction with the public television program. BizKid$ is funded in part through the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation and is based on kids teaching kids about financial literacy.
• CeMark – Provides quality financial literacy curriculum, often underwritten by local credit unions, and sometimes underwritten by the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation.
• Jump$tart Coalition – A national and statewide network of financial literacy initiatives, Jump$tart includes a vetted financial literacy curriculum. Visit Pennsylvania’s website here.

Which Literacy & Why?
PCUA officials are interested in helping people improve their financial lives.  It has been a real bonus to find other organizations like libraries who are interested in financial literacy and in educating the public about it.  While the PCUA has connected with some libraries, it is interested in working with even more libraries.

How is the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association already working with PA Forward?

• Helped get PA Forward involved in the Jump$tart Coalition referenced above.
• Played a vital role in the PA Forward Financial Literacy Summit held in March 2016.

Who to Contact?:
Kathleen Fey (kathleen.fey@pcua.org) is PCUA’s primary contact to facilitate relationships between the libraries and credit unions within their communities.  Click here for additional information about credit unions or to find a credit union.

Personal Experience:
“The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association put me in touch with a credit union in my area to find a guest speaker for a class I was teaching.  The presentation was informative, my students were encouraged to ask questions, and I didn’t feel like the representative was there to sell her organization.  I was so happy with the presentation, I had the presenter come back the next year and I shared this opportunity with other colleagues.” – Amy

 

Andrea Hartranft, Harrisburg Area Community College
Christie Himmelreich, Schuylkill Valley Community Library
Nicole Husbands, Indian Valley Public Library
Laura Laspee, Clymer Library
Amy Snyder, Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences