Universal 1 Credit Union received a financial education grant to assist with production of “Life After High School,” a classroom financial education board game. Designed by the credit union, the game previews what students can expect financially after high school. The game is designed for middle and high school students and presents financial education in a fun, engaging manner. “The impact of the decisions made during the game is evident when the game sheets are tallied and the participants can directly see the result of their financial choices … which either leads to financial independence or dependence,” said VP of Marketing Danielle Deramo.

The Northeast Ohio Credit Union Manager’s Group received grant funds to help with the costs associated with12-months of financial education outreach through media. They worked with 1330 AM WELW and Consumer Credit Counseling Services on a financial education campaign focused on CUNA’s Home and Family Finance Radio Show, quarterly financial education workshops, and member communications. The campaign’s multi-touch approach provided financial education to time-pressed credit union and community members.

CSE Federal Credit Union in Canton opened a student-run branch in Timken High School. The student-operated branch offers students a real-life environment to apply financial skills learned in the classroom thanks to a grant from the Ohio Credit Union Foundation. The student-run credit union serves the 1,400 students, as well as teachers and faculty. The 24 students currently enrolled in the program created the business plan, transaction forms, and accounting system needed to operate. The student branch is funded in part with a grant from the Ohio Credit Union Foundation.

FirstDay Financial Federal Credit Union in Dayton opened its fourth student-run credit union branch in the Patterson Career Center. Students, faculty, and staff can open savings/checking accounts, make deposits, cash checks, apply for ATM/debit cards, obtain certificate and loan rates, make VISA payments, and sign-up for online banking and e-statements. FirstDay Financial FCU believes that student-run branches offer students an opportunity to positively experience the financial skills taught in the classroom before graduating from high school. The branch is funded in part with a grant from the Ohio Credit Union Foundation.

The Northwest Chapter partnered with Public Broadcasting Service station WTGE to create a Biz Kid$ distance learning workshop for educators. Chapter leaders will showcase additional credit union financial education resources, including MoneyandStuff. “This project has presented credit unions with an opportunity to promote Biz Kid$ while sharing the credit union difference,” said Chapter President Beth Carpenter. Funded in part by grants from Outreach Extensions and the Ohio Credit Union Foundation, the project demonstrated that community partnerships can help credit unions expand their financial education efforts while maintaining their marketing budgets.

The Ohio Credit Union Foundation awarded a grant to the Northwest Chapter in order to professionally produce the game pieces for its “Finances 101: Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk” program. The financial education program was modeled after “The Game of Life,” and offers students an opportunity to make real-life financial decisions and unexpected surprises, such as car accidents. Since 2003, more than 2,500 young people have participated in the financial education program, and the chapter hopes to expand its efforts after the game pieces are restructured to withstand multiple uses and travel.

	Students participating in Finances 101 use clipboards with calculators, courtesy of OCUF grant funds, to assess their financial situations as they progress from station to station.
	At the medical emergency station, students scratch off stickers to determine their financial fates.

Lynne Kline of City of Painesville ECU was awarded the Ohio Credit Union Foundation's 2009 Jacquie Fisher Memorial Scholarship to attend the Credit Union National Association’s Management School. Kline plans to use the business and leadership skills she obtained to create a positive work environment for credit union employees while building constructive member relationships. According to Kline, “The practical, everyday advice and realistic role-playing offered by the program has been a very educational experience.”

Kathy Hammond of Kent CU was awarded a professional development grant to attend CUNA's Business Development School II in Fort Worth, TX.  Hammond expanded her business development skills and uses the information to focus on improving member satisfaction and enhance the credit union’s community involvement efforts. According to Hammond, “CUNA’s Business Development School II was rich with topics that were relevant, and they provided take-home tools to continue my personal development.”

Melissa Eckstein of Cleveland Police CU received a professional development grant to attend the National Youth Involvement Board’s Annual Conference in Tempe, AZ. The conference focused on understanding young consumers and offering appealing services that meet their needs, with an emphasis on budget-saving alternatives that compete with expensive technology used by other financial institutions. According to Eckstein, “The conference provided attendees with a wealth of information, such as youth marketing programs, turnkey kids’ club programs, and Web-based financial literacy programs that can easily be tailored to meet their credit unions’ needs.”

Monica Caro of Directions CU received a professional development grant to attend the Credit Union National Association’s Compliance School. The training allowed Caro to renew her Credit Union Compliance Expert designation and gain a plethora of compliance knowledge to support her daily duties at her credit union. According to Caro, “This information gives me the tools and knowledge to ensure Directions Credit Union is in compliance and can continue to serve our members.”
 

The Ohio Credit Union Foundation awarded a $5,000 disaster relief grant to the World Council of Credit Unions  for the Disaster Relief Fund for Australia. The grant helped provide immediate relief to Australian credit union staff and members who lost their homes to the raging brushfires. It is the first disaster relief grant issued by the Foundation in 2009.

OCUF awarded a $10,000 disaster relief grant to the World Council of Credit Unions for the flooding and mudslides in El Salvador. The grant helped provide immediate relief to individuals and communities that were devastated by the torrential rains. The impoverished nation of 7 million was pelted by three days of rain attributed to "a disturbed weather area" off the Pacific coast of El Salvador, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

Credit unions interested in offering financial support for national disasters can donate anytime through the National Credit Union Foundation’s online giving center, CUAid.
http://www.cuaid.coop
 

2009 Memorial Scholarships

2009 Student Scholarships
The Ohio Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) awarded five $2,500 scholarships for post-secondary education. The five 2009 Ohio Credit Union Scholarship winners were: Mariah Auck from the North Central Chapter, Patrick DeVine from the Butler County Chapter, Christina Durrough from the Cincinnati Chapter, Mattie Hanley from the Northwest Chapter, and Emily Moss from the Summit Chapter. The students were among more than 1,700 who participated in an annual statewide scholarship contest sponsored by the Chapters of the Ohio Credit Union League and funded by OCUF. Each chapter submits its top essay winner to the League, and a panel of independent judges then selects the five statewide winners.
 

“Attending the Governmental Affairs Conference with over 4,000 individuals committed to advancing the credit union movement was very inspiring. I am a true advocate for credit unions, and I plan on encouraging my staff, my board, and my members to become active within the credit union movement.”
-- Tina Wocher, President
Cincinnati Police FCU

“The Richard Blake Memorial Scholarship has allowed me to expand my knowledge of current credit union political issues, share my credit union’s story with congressmen, and experience the credit union movement on a national level.”
-- Dianne Easterday, CEO
ODJFS FCU

“The NYIB conference is a platform for credit unions to gain insight and resources needed to understand young consumers, teach them good money management skills, and offer services they can use, all from experienced professionals and credit union peers.”
-- Melissa Eckstein, Head Teller
Cleveland Police CU

“CUNA Management School has helped me develop effective management and communication skills. On a daily basis, my credit union benefits from the skills I learned at CUNA Management School.”
-- Crystal Riffle, Director of Financial Services
ProMedica FCU

“NCUF’s Development Education (DE) Program was a great experience and the grant made it even better. It gave me the knowledge needed to help members, by getting back to the credit union philosophy of People Helping People, which is most important.”
-- Jennifer Hausserman, Operations Manager
Millstream Area CU

“The “Life After High School” game was designed to give youth a true reality preview of what to expect financially after high school in relation to education, spending, and saving.”
-- Danielle Deramo, VP Marketing
Universal 1 Credit Union

“Real financial independence can be achieved through education. The Timken High School student-run credit union functions as this education, offering real world experience to students.”
-- Amie Jones, Administrative Assistant
CSE Federal Credit Union

“I have met with neighborhood leaders and everyone agrees that the [Marion Community] Credit Union Family Enrichment Center will be the hub of the neighborhood’s redevelopment.”
-- Scott Schertzer, Mayor of Marion