Our hallmark initiative remains the promotion of financial literacy. Since the Division’s inception, we reached over hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians. According to the FDIC, the number of unbanked households in South Carolina dropped more than 12 percent between 2009 and 2011. The decline is in contrast to regional and national trends, which showed the percentage of unbanked households on the rise between 2009 and 2011, according to the regulatory entity. We believe the Young Bankers Division’s longtime efforts to promote financial education throughout the state is at least partially responsible for the drop in unbanked households. By telling us what your bank and your people are doing you’ll help us better track these often-unheralded efforts. Our goal is simple: to educate and prepare consumers and future consumers to manage their finances, and to promote a better understanding of the banking industry’s importance throughout South Carolina.
The American Bankers Association Education Foundation promotes two annual events: Teach Children to Save Day, a day each April when thousands of bankers nationwide make presentations to students on the importance of saving for their future; and Get Smart About Credit Day, a day each October when bankers stress the importance of credit education to young adults in high schools and colleges.
Over the course of the year, the SCBA tracks the financial literacy efforts of each participating institution and reports them to the ABA year. It is our hope that every bank will take part in this initiative. The most recent reporting period ended June 30, 2017. Is your bank involved? Need to report your efforts? Click “Financial Literacy Report Card” under the Young Bankers Division menu bar or contact Carolyn L. Bradley of the SCBA at 803.779.0850 or carolynbradley@scbankers.org.
Financial Literacy Partners
The Young Bankers Division is proud to partner with EVERFI, GEAR UP SC, Junior Achievement and Midlands Education and Business Alliance. We are always looking for more partners like these:
Volunteerism – a network of individuals offering direct support for students
Parental outreach – workshops and training assist parents in supporting their student’s education and get them involved in schools
Community partnerships – businesses, civic and faith-based organizations and individuals provide volunteer services, incentive programs, career awareness projects and support SC GEAR UP could not make a difference in the lives of its students without the support of businesses and community volunteers. SC GEAR UP thanks the South Carolina Bankers Association, a proud partner with a focus on Financial Literacy.
For more information about SC GEAR UP, contact Cynthia Bennett at 803-799-4601.
Junior Achievement provides young people from kindergarten through 12th grades with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. While JA offices provide the materials, access to schools, funding, and training, the most critical element in making an impact on students is the volunteers who teach those JA lessons in the classroom. We are sincerely grateful to the members of the South Carolina Bankers Association throughout the state for their willingness to serve as superb role models and mentors, for sharing their expertise and experience, and for partnering with us to provide proven programs that work. Many of you serve on our boards and are among our major financial supporters. Together we create a quintuple winning combination: 1) financially literate students who are your future employees and customers; 2) team building and community outreach opportunities for your banks; 3) CRA credit for each volunteer; 4) effective JA programs; and, ultimately, 5) an entire community that has benefited from our relationship with you to develop our youth, their education, and the economy.
