The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) has honored CORE Federal Credit Union, East Syracuse, N.Y., as a national Desjardins Award winner for the fifth consecutive year for its work in promoting youth financial literacy. This is the first time that a credit union has received the award in five consecutive years. The award was presented at CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 24.
The Desjardins Award is named for Alphonse Desjardins, the founder of the North American credit union movement. The award honors credit unions for their commitment to youth and adult financial literacy.
CORE opened the first student-run credit union in Central New York at ESM High School in 2005. The credit union operates an extensive financial literacy program that includes not only the student-run Spartan Branch program at ESM High School, but also a K-8 school banking program, teen finance forums for area high school students and adult education seminars.
Using a unique “Students as Educators” model, all of CORE’s programs provide high school students the opportunity to learn about personal finance, teach their peers, serve as mentors and role models for younger students in the school district, team-teach adult education sessions with school board members and credit union personnel, and this past year, become certified as volunteer tax preparers under the IRS VITA program.
CORE has presented its program nationally at credit union conferences and actively works with other credit unions and school districts to assist them in enhancing their own student financial literacy programs. “CORE Federal Credit Union put an unbelievable amount of time and dedication into this initiative,” said CUNA Judge Eileen Rivera, president/CEO, SkyOne FCU, Hawthorne, Calif. “It is hard to believe a credit union of their size can do all of that great work. I loved the high school kids mentoring the younger kids, and the effort to get the media and legislators informed and involved.”