Idaho Central Credit Union is excited to announce the opening of their newest branch located in Owyhee High School in Meridian, Idaho. This unconventional branch is ICCU’s third of its kind, aimed at serving the banking needs of the faculty and students, while investing in our youth’s financial education.
ICCU first put a branch in Mountain View High School, also in Meridian, fourteen years ago. When the principal of MVHS transferred to Owyhee High School, he asked ICCU to open up a new branch there to continue investing in the students of West Ada School District. ICCU’s second school branch is located at Thunder Ridge High School in Idaho Falls. Idaho Central is always looking for ways to provide students with financial education and has seen great strides with the students they have worked with in these student-run branches.
This new branch has eight motivated Owyhee High School students working alongside Idaho Central team members to learn job skills, member service skills, and financial literacy. These students will be working in the school branch each day during a class period to earn an elective credit and help their fellow students with their banking needs. Inside the branch, there are two teller stations that will be open four hours a day. The students can help others with basic transactions, opening an account, and assistance with accounts and loans. They are also paid interns at their local ICCU branch and help out after school or on weekends. ICCU often hires many of the employees full-time after their internship has been completed!
Idaho Central recognizes the importance of teaching students about financial management and how to make smart decisions. These skills are especially significant to learn before they graduate and start pursuing higher education or entering the workforce. They have partnered with Stukent, a leader in education courseware, to provide every high school in Idaho and Eastern Washington with a program using state-of-the-art technology to teach personal financial skills and decision-learning theory. This program simulates real-life situations that students will be faced with and teaches the concepts needed to make informed decisions.
With the economic environment constantly changing, ICCU is proud to team up with various education programs to increase our youth’s ability to achieve financial success! A U.S. Department of the Treasury study found that these in-school branches increased account ownership and improved attitudes toward banking in addition to improving attitudes about saving and working with financial institutions. ICCU believes financial literacy should be a basic part of education for students of every age and are committed to investing in the resources needed to close the gap.
The Owyhee High School branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and the student employees will be supervised by Kasey Orlik Hill. Kasey has been with Idaho Central for four years and has also served as a Financial Service Officer before becoming a supervisor. “I am so excited to invest in the students here at Owyhee High School and to see them grow and develop along the way,” said Kasey. “As a previous intern myself, I want to show them that they can accomplish anything. Not only are we helping these students learn about accounts and services, we are helping them set the groundwork for their own financial literacy along the way as well.”
With the assistance of the community and the school district, ICCU is thrilled to have another opportunity to arm our youth with the knowledge and skills to understand personal finance.