SANTA ROSA, Calif. Redwood Credit Union, in partnership with the Sonoma County Office of Education and Santa Rosa City Schools, will offer its 9th Banking & Finance Academy for local high school students.
The $2.1-billion CU said it will use the High School Financial Planning Program created by the National Endowment for Financial Education. The program includes topics such as budgeting, financial planning, saving and investing, credit and debt management, and other life skills related to managing money.
The summer Banking & Finance Academy will be held June 11-14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Redwood Credit Union’s administrative offices here. While past Academies have been limited to high school juniors and seniors, eligibility has been extended to include students entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade at any Sonoma County high school. The event is free but enrollment is limited, so students are encouraged to register early either online at
“More than 300 students have graduated from our Banking & Finance Academies, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from students, parents, educators and local elected officials,” said Brett Martinez, president & CEO of RCU. “As a cooperative, providing free access to education and information is one of our guiding principles, and we strongly believe providing financial education especially at a young age helps people develop essential money skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.”
While the Academies are well-received by the community, Martinez said it is his vision that financial literacy soon will become a required component of the state high school economics curriculum.
RCU also offers adult financial literacy and outreach programs, and hosts a variety of free educational seminars and events for members and the community throughout the year.
