Blog Archive

2022(50)
2021(62)
2020(61)
2019(62)
2018(63)

Friday, September 16, 2022

School Spotlight: Embracing Summer Youth Education

Julie B greets a friend at a Sizzling Summer concert in Novi with plenty of fun things to share!
Julie B greets a friend at a Sizzling Summer concert in Novi with plenty of fun things to share!

You may already know that our Student-Run Credit Union team works tirelessly during the school year to provide exciting and educational opportunities. But did you know that they provide assistance and services during the summer as well? This summer, our Education Partnership Coordinators (EPCs) were hard at work helping the community with fun activities, educational presentations, and more!

If you’ve been to a Youth or Kid’s Concert this summer, you’ve probably seen our EPCs in their orange Summer of Sharing T-Shirts, passing out giveaways and spreading the Community Financial spirit to the community. Plymouth’s Music in the Park, Northville Tunes on Tuesday, Canton Tuesdays are Terrific, and Novi Sizzling Summer are just a handful of the great concert partnerships we were fortunate enough to cultivate this year.

Our EPCs also had the opportunity to participate in Money Mondays, a summer day camp program through the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. During Money Mondays, our team members visited Bentley Elementary four times throughout the summer with educational presentations designed to help campers learn financial skills to last a lifetime.

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Friday, May 20, 2022

A Dose of Reality at Hillman High School

Assistant Manager of the Atlanta Branch, Trena S,
 explains the selections on housing and making
good financial choices.

Hillman High School, in Montmorency County, recently teamed up with Community Financial to engage their students in a dose of financial reality! Hillman High School’s eleventh and twelfth grade students participated in a Community Financial sponsored “Reality Fair,” where students were asked to navigate the world of finances as adults!

The “Reality Fair,” developed by CUNA (The Credit Union National Association) and used by credit unions around Michigan, is designed to engage students in making money-smart adult choices. Students begin the Reality Fair by receiving a profession with a set salary and credit score. After students are taught about credit card debt, credit scores, student loan payments, and setting a monthly budget, they are tasked with choosing their transportation, housing, child care, home essentials, food, clothing, and more. The goal is for students to build a monthly budget within their set means, while simultaneously learning about the costs of necessary goods and services.

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Thursday, October 15, 2020

School Spotlight: Staying Positive at Wixom Elementary!

Community Financial’s Wixom branch opened to members in 2018.  Since then, our school partnerships within the Walled Lake Consolidated School District have begun!  Wixom Elementary joined in partnership with Community Financial in the fall of 2019.  Wixom Elementary’s Student-Run Credit Union volunteers and members demonstrated how to be positive, and have fun, all while learning valuable work skills.

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Friday, May 15, 2020

School Spotlight: Hillman High School Students Learn about Budgeting

While Community Financial can’t be in the schools right now due to stay-at-home measures put in place throughout the state, we are grateful to look back on the financial education our school partnerships have provided throughout the year.

Community Financial’s school partnerships provide financial education to many students in Northern Michigan.  Our school partners include: Gaylord Intermediate School, Lewiston Elementary, and Hillman Elementary School.  Hillman High School has enlisted Community Financial’s help with providing financial education to their students as well.  Hillman High School’s eleventh and twelfth grade students last year participated in a Community Financial sponsored “Reality Fair,” where students were asked to navigate the world of finances as adults!

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Friday, January 17, 2020

School Spotlight: Wildwood Elementary Students are SMART!

Wildwood Elementary Student-Run
Credit Union fall volunteers.
Community Financial’s Westland branch opened to our members in 2018.  Since then, our school partnerships within the Wayne-Westland School District have started to develop.

Wildwood Elementary joined in partnership with Community Financial last year.  Here are some pictures of Wildwood’s Student-Run Credit Union.



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Friday, November 15, 2019

School Spotlight: Celebrating Diverse Learners at Kennedy Elementary

Education Partnership Coordinator, Amy Fava, with Kennedy
Elementary's Student-Run Credit Union fall volunteers.
Recognizing and celebrating how each student offers new and unique perspectives is important for any successful classroom.  The same applies to the Student-Run Credit Union program.  Community Financial believes in valuing diverse learners.  It is imperative that we work with teachers, parents, and students to understand each student as an individual with certain skills, personalities, cultural backgrounds, etc.

Education Partnership Coordinator, Amy Fava, strives to know each student volunteer and member personally at Kennedy Elementary in Livonia.  Amy works tirelessly with teachers and parents to address any accommodations students may need to be successful workers and savers at the school’s Student-Run Credit Union.   
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