Local school children learned their financial ABCs as a team of volunteers from Sea Island Bank, a division of Synovus Bank, once again partnered with local public and private schools to teach children valuable lessons in money management including the importance of budget planning, a savings program and fiscal responsibility.
Throughout April and May, local bankers reached over 725 students during visits to second grade classrooms and field trips at Sea Island Bank offices around Statesboro.
Chad Wiggins, an executive vice president at Sea Island Bank, was joined by his daughter Avery to talk to students in Vickie Marshall's class at Julia P. Bryant Elementary School.
As part of a nationwide effort that is spearheaded annually through the American Bankers Association's Teach Children to Save Program, Sea Island Bank volunteers provided an interactive presentation that showed students the difference in financial decisions based on needs or wants and why it is important to save money.
Teach Children to Save has reached more than 4 million young people nationwide since its inception 15 years ago. In addition to Sea Island Bank, other financial institutions from across Georgia have been actively involved in classroom presentations this year. Supported by the Georgia Bankers Association in conjunction with the American Bankers Association's Education Foundation, the program has one common goal: to educate children about the importance of saving money.
The curriculum of Teach Children to Save also benefits educators who are required to meet national standards in mathematics, English and consumer sciences. It specifically addresses the Georgia Performance Standards for second grade economics including E3 and E4.
For more information, teachers or parents can contact Kim Brannen, a senior vice president and manager of Sea Island Bank's Private Client Group, who coordinates the Teach Children to Save Program in local schools. Additional material including tips and ideas about financial management and saving money is available online at the American Bankers Association's web site at www.aba.com.