WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –– On the morning of June 24, summer school was about more than reading, writing and arithmetic for students at Greater Lafayette area high schools.

Students at Lafayette Jefferson, William Henry Harrison, and McCutcheon high schools received a visit from Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) President and CEO Bob Falk and New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees. The visit included a presentation about Visa’s Financial Football program, an interactive money management game designed to teach students important money management skills.

PEFCU President and CEO Bob Falk, and New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees talk to Lafayette Jefferson High School students about financial responsibility.

“Today’s event is a very important program – one that I wish I had been exposed to when I was your age,” said Brees. “Not enough kids leave high school with the right knowledge to manage their finances and today’s kids have even more responsibilities at a younger age than I did.”

PEFCU believes the best way to tackle today’s economic crisis and to defend against future challenges is by arming students with knowledge and skills to successfully manage their finances. Through Financial Football students learn about assets and liabilities, savings and interest, advantages and disadvantages of credit and debit cards, and how to create a budget or spending plan.

“Whether these students join the workforce or attend college after high school graduation, their success depends upon their ability to manage their finances,” said Bob Falk, PEFCU president and CEO. “At PEFCU, we’re committed to helping our youth reach their potential.”

PEFCU works with local schools and organizations to teach money management skills to area youth throughout the year. For more information about ways PEFCU can help your organization or school meet its financial literacy goals, please contact Kristy Robb at 765.497.7442.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Fifth Third Bank Homeownership Mobile (aka the “eBus”) will be rolling into Lafayette, Indiana this Wednesday (tomorrow) and Thursday, June 3 and 4. The Homeownership Mobile is a 40-foot bus that doubles as a mobile classroom to provide credit counseling, financial literacy, homeownership assistance and foreclosure prevention directly to where people live and work.

A self-contained mobile classroom on wheels, the eBus is Internet-equipped with 14 computer terminals for instructor-led or self-directed homeownership and credit counseling programs, and access to comprehen-sive financial services information.

Fifth Third Bank has several community partners that will help make the eBus program a success in-cluding: The Community College Foundation, Lafayette Adult Resource Academy (LARA), Family Services, Inc., Hanna Community Center, Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette, Inc., Experience Works, Lafayette Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., Internal Revenue Service, and Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA).

This is the fifth year the eBus has visited Indiana. In 2008, and in just 15 days time, more than 8,931 Central and Northeastern Indiana residents stepped aboard the Homeownership Mobile; 307 received free credit reports; and 242 received one-on-one counseling sessions.

A Mobile Classroom
A self-contained mobile classroom on wheels, the eBus is Internet-equipped with 14 computer terminals for instructor-led or self-directed homeownership and credit counseling programs, and access to comprehen-sive financial services information, including the free Fifth Third Homeownership Guide and Dream Guard life planning materials. Fifth Third community development officers, mortgage professionals and retail banking staff will be on board the Homeownership Mobile along with community partners to promote financial literacy, homeownership assistance and foreclosure prevention in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. On the bus, visitors will be able to:

• Request a free credit report and review it onboard.
• Request a free credit report with a credit score that will be mailed directly to you.
• Receive a free consultation on loss mitigation and foreclosure prevention.
• Receive a free personalized evaluation of finances.
• Speak with non-profit organizations that provide housing, money management and business advice.
• Browse free multi-lingual, self-directed programs on homeownership and credit counseling.

“The housing market has suffered through a tumultuous year and there have been many changes,” said Beverly Mukes-Gaither, Senior Vice President of Community Development for Fifth Third Bank, Central Indiana. “The eBus arrives at an opportune time to help people who have questions and for them to realize they have options even in this challenging market. Fifth Third believes that in order to build a better tomorrow we must meet the community’s needs today.”

eBus Schedule

• Wednesday, June 3: LARA, 1100 Elizabeth St., Lafayette, Noon-6:00p
• Thursday, June 4: Howarth Center, 615 N. 18th St. Lafayette, 10:00a–3:00p

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –- Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) and William Henry Harrison High School will open Greater Lafayette’s second in-school financial institution on September 23. PEFCU opened the area’s first in-school financial institution in January 2005 at Lafayette Jefferson High School.

“We are pleased to have this partnership with PEFCU,” said Doug Lesley, Harrison High School principal. “We believe it creates numerous educational opportunities for students and also provides beneficial financial services to Tippecanoe School Corporation employees.”

The 208-square-foot branch named Harrison’s PEFCU @ School will be operated by two high-school-student tellers and a PEFCU supervisor. Supervisor Sara Gretencord will oversee and evaluate the work of Melissa Blosser and Shane Hamilton, who were trained and worked at the PEFCU Financial Mall during the summer. Student tellers are expected to meet the same qualifications as other PEFCU employees. They must also be enrolled in the twelfth-grade Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education (ICE) course at Harrison High School. Students are selected as tellers after submitting an application and being interviewed. They receive compensation as well as ICE course credits for their work.

In addition to the hands-on learning experience for student tellers, other students will gain money management skills by opening checking and savings accounts, making transactions at the branch, and learning from the financial literacy curriculum provided by PEFCU and Harrison staff through ICE and other career- and business-related courses. The branch will be open Monday through Friday during lunch periods from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. to serve students, faculty and staff.

“PEFCU has provided Harrison High School with financial education for two years and this in-school branch solidifies our commitment to the financial health of Greater Lafayette’s youth,” said Carolyn Barrett, PEFCU financial literacy coordinator. “By teaching and helping teenagers develop healthy financial habits now, we are preparing them for a bright future.”

About Harrison High School

William Henry Harrison High School is part of Tippecanoe School Corporation and has been in existence since 1971. It has approximately 1,685 students in grades 9 through 12. Harrison’s Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education (ICE) combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training related to students’ career objectives.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Good money management is an essential life skill. That’s why Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) partnered with Purdue Athletes Life Success Program (PALS) to provide financial literacy content and activities during this year’s camp.

Campers Use Computers to Practice Life SkillsPEFCU Collections Manager Dana Smith helps a camper create her computer persona and practice the money management skills learned earlier in the week.(Photo by Nicole Thompson)

“Whether we like it or not, economics has become the foundation of our entire culture,” said Bill Harper, PALS director. “Kids typically are not exposed to the complications of handling money or differentiating between wants and needs. This is an opportunity to introduce kids to the reality of life in an informal setting.”

On the final day of the four-week camp, the children applied the money management knowledge they had gained over the previous two days to age-based life-skills activities. The younger campers each received a $100 “paycheck,” which they had to deposit into the “credit union”. Then they used a checkbook register to balance their “checking accounts” according to choices they made individually between low-priced, mid-priced and high-priced vehicles, food and pets as well as unexpected emergencies.

The older campers took this activity to the next level using a computer-based program. Based on their individual interests and chosen level of education, the computer generated a career and salary for each camper. Then they chose to purchase insurance, homes, vehicles, meals and so on at different price levels. They also had to “visit” their financial institution in order to pay off debts like mortgages, credit cards and student loans. During the game, each camper could see his/her monthly income as well as balances on savings and debts.

“This [computer] game is fun and I’d like to play it,” said Jill Freeland, PALS counselor. “The kids have already learned so much about savings and they’ve told me how they’re going to save at home. They’re very excited about all they can do with money.”

In addition to its partnership with PALS, PEFCU works with local schools and organizations to teach money management skills to area youth throughout the year. “By teaching and helping children develop healthy financial habits now, they will be better prepared for the future,” said Carolyn Barrett, PEFCU financial literacy coordinator.

For more information about ways PEFCU helps organizations or schools meet financial literacy goals, please contact Carolyn Barrett at 765.497.7409.