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Credit unions get ready for financial literacy programme in schools

Published:Tuesday | March 31, 2015 | 12:28 PM
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A group of high-school students converged on the Credit Unions of Jamaica booth at the recently held Financial Services Commission’s (FSC) awards luncheon to culminate their 2015 financial education programme. The Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League partnered with the FSC for the high-school programme, but will go on its own in April.

Credit unions get ready for financial literacy programme in schools

The Credit Unions of Jamaica (CUJ) brand will make significant inroads into the area of financial literacy when it embarks on a programme in high schools this year, aided by Junior Achievement Jamaica.

The financial literacy programme forms part of the corporate social outreach of the CUJ brand, which operates by the co-operative principle of continuous education for all.

The financial literacy programme for high schools all across Jamaica will be run over a two-month period commencing in April. It will see credit union mentors, comprising volunteers and staff, delivering curriculum material to more than 600 students, and is the first phase of a wider programme to introduce the youths to credit unions.

The curriculum material introduces students to the importance of making wise financial decisions and demonstrates the importance of planning, goal setting and thoughtful decision-making within the context of personal financial decisions.

The delivery of this experiential financial literacy

curriculum, known as the JA Personal Finance curriculum, is a timely intervention for students and their families who will be better able to budget, save, and invest money, use credit wisely, and protect their personal finances.

Students will be able to benefit in other ways from their participation in the

sessions. These include their participation in an essay competition for which prizes will be awarded. Another benefit is the award of three bursaries valued at $50,000 each following the final phase of the initiative to be rolled out following the completion of the financial literacy curriculum.

The programme will begin with a training session and launch on April 9, 2015.

The programme will begin with a Junior Achievement trainer of trainers session and a launch on April 9, 2015.

Junior Achievement is a registered non-government organisation and is a member of the Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAW). It is the global leader in providing cutting edge, hands-on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness education for young people. JAW

operates in 121 countries.