First Celebration of National Credit Union Youth Week Slated for April 14-20, 2002

December 6, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Tom Dunn
(608) 231-4002
Tdunn@cuna.com

MADISON, WI – The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) will introduce the first National Credit Union Youth Week in 2002. The theme for this inaugural celebration is "Your Future. Your Money. Your Choice."

"The underlying idea behind National Credit Union Youth Week is to encourage credit unions across the country to address the financial needs of people under the age of 18, beginning with the need for personal finance education," says Daniel A. Mica, President and CEO of CUNA. "Young people are not only current and future credit union members, but consumers who control billions of dollars in economic activity. We want the spotlight to shine on how young people earn, spend, save, and manage their own money—and how America’s credit unions help them do so wisely."

Mica says that April is an easy choice to celebrate National Credit Union Youth Week. The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, of which CUNA is a partner, has designated April as National Financial Literacy for Youth Month. And April is when the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®), another CUNA ally, announces the winners of its High School Financial Literacy Awards.

"Inaugurating National Credit Union Youth Week follows naturally from our sponsorship of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program," Mica says, explaining that CUNA and credit unions have a long-standing commitment to financial literacy among members. "We also believe that celebrating this event in April is a logical complement to our International Credit Union Week activities in October."

"We'll put planning resources and PR support on CUNA’s Web site in January 2002. Promotional products similar to International Credit Union Week materials also will be available," says Philip Heckman, director of youth outreach for CUNA. He anticipates that credit unions will want to host, sponsor, and/or support a variety of youth-oriented programs during the week. "Posters, ad items, publicity materials, ideas for activities, and other related information will be available to help credit unions really make this a special week for their members and for the public."

Heckman adds that CUNA is working with the Cooperative Extension System and with leagues and other credit union organizations, most notably the Education Credit Union Council and the National Youth Involvement Board (NYIB), to build support and awareness of National Credit Union Youth Week. The NYIB’s network of credit union volunteers makes presentations on financial literacy issues to students in the classroom. Last year, more than 130,000 students received financial information through NYIB-sponsored classroom presentations.

With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, CUNA serves more than 90 percent of America’s 10,200 credit unions, which are owned by more than 81 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life.

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