May 12 2021 GreenState Credit Union To Sponsor Junior Achievement Programs

GreenState Credit Union LogoJunior Achievement logo


Media Release

May 12, 2021
RE: GREENSTATE CREDIT UNION TO SPONSOR JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAMS
Contact: Kristi Brown, Stewardship Director
Email: kbrown@jaeasterniowa.org
Phone: (319) 862-1100


INSPIRING BETTER TOMORROWS: GREENSTATE CREDIT UNION TO SPONSOR
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAMS

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa is proud to announce that GreenState Credit Union has renewed their investment in providing students with the financial literacy and career readiness education they need to transform their tomorrow. Their contribution will support Junior Achievement programs for 931 students throughout Eastern Iowa!

“GreenState is grateful for the curriculum and experience that Junior Achievement is providing to children across the country,” said Tara Wachendorf, Public Relations Director of GreenState Credit Union. “We are happy to continue investing in JA which, in turn, invests in our children’s future.”

Since 2016, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa and GreenState Credit Union have been collaborating to provide kindergarten through 12th grade students in Eastern Iowa with experiential learning programs.

Through participation, students have learned—and will continue to learn:

  • How to earn money
  • About the importance of budgeting
  • How to build credit
  • The importance of saving and investing
  • About new careers and how to make them a reality
  • How the career they choose will directly impact their personal finances

The JA Pathways model extends the classroom experience and offers students the opportunity to immediately practice what they are learning. The experiences focus on individual needs for exploration and will enable JA students to master key competencies to become financially capable, work ready, and entrepreneurially minded. Junior Achievement is taking strides now to equip the next generation with the tools and know-how for success in school and beyond.

“We are honored to have such a strong partnership with GreenState Credit Union,” said Christine Landa, President of Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa. “Together, we are a strong force that brings real change to our local communities by ensuring our youth have the skillset needed to be financially independent and career ready adults. We look forward to continuing the partnership well into the future so that Eastern Iowa students can achieve a better tomorrow.”

Students share what they have learned from their Junior Achievement experience:

  • “I learned the difference between a debit and a credit card. A debit card takes your money right out of the bank when you use it, and a credit card borrows money from the bank, and at the end of the month you have to pay the bill.”-Chase, JA Economics for Success®
  • “I learned how to properly fill out a job application, and how to present myself at a job interview.” – Bailey, JA It’s My Future®

Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa is viewed as the leading partner organization by 196 schools that bring the business and education communities together to help students understand how the skills and concepts they are learning can be applied to everyday life, bringing relevance to the classroom!

As one of the partner districts Dr. Douglas Wheeler, Superintendent at College Community School District, explains his thoughts on Junior Achievement programs.

“JA programming has become essential in our goal to address all state standards related to financial literacy, career exploration and community engagement. There is no doubt that the students in other schools would enjoy these benefits in their community.”

Junior Achievement programs are taught by 1,295 volunteers who serve as role models from local businesses within the community. These individuals bring real-world relevance into the classroom by sharing workforce and entrepreneurial knowledge while teaching the Junior Achievement curriculum.

About Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa (JAEI)
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa is dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in the global economy through work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy educational programs. JAEI’s programs are delivered by 1,295 local volunteers that can provide students with real-world examples of how obstacles can be overcome and success achieved. JAEI provides its programs to 43,265 students throughout Eastern Iowa which includes Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Delaware, Grundy, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, and Linn counties. For more information, visit www.JAEasternIowa.org.

About GreenState Credit Union
Organized in 1938, GreenState has grown to be Iowa’s largest credit union with over $7.5 billion in assets. GreenState is one of the top financial institutions in the United States for returning profits to members in the form of better rates and lower fees. They serve over 280,000 members with 24 office locations and membership is open to anyone living or working in Iowa, or nearby counties in Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska or South Dakota.