Financial Football

Financial Football 2017 was a huge success! Chamberlain High School is now the reigning champions and will compete in the LSCU Financial Fitness Tournament this summer. Events like this one create experiences that our youngest members will never forget! BIG THANKS goes out to all of our Suncoast volunteers, school partners and the Tampa Bay Rays who supported this event.

Student Run Branches

Suncoast Credit Union operates student run branches on middle and high school premises. Students staff these scaled down credit union branches, accepting applications and deposits from students and staff members while also learning financial education. Suncoast employees and the student branch staff work together to spread credit union awareness to other students through various campaigns and seminars - all led by the students. Students gain skills and understanding that not only enhance their résumés but give them a competitive edge when applying for jobs and college. During the 2014-2015 school year, the Student Run Branch Program provided financial education for K-12 students in 38 schools across seven counties

Suncoast Credit Union has expanded the Student Run Branch program to include an elementary school component that focuses on teaching kindergarten to 5th grade students the importance of saving. Students are able to make a deposit into their savings account once a week at their elementary student run branch. Students receive an extra $5 in their savings account after they make 10 deposits at their student run branch.

This fall, Suncoast will launch its first collegiate student run branch at Hillsborough Community College. College students will have access to one-on-one financial advice to help them make smart choices for their financial futures.

Biz Kids Money Boss

Suncoast Credit Union partners with Biz Kids, a middle school program focused on financial education and entrepreneurial skills. In 2014, Suncoast conducted week-long sessions at Hillsborough Community College’s summer camp. Students divided into teams and were challenged to come up with a restaurant idea that included location, structure, ambiance and food specialties. During these sessions, students also learned how location costs and product costs can play a major role in determining their pricing strategy. At the end of the week, students presented their ideas to a panel of judges, who critiqued each team’s presentation, determined a winner and explained why they would invest in the winning team.

A two-hour version of this program is available for 4th grade through 8th grade students. During the shortened version, students will watch a 30-minute video, create a unique restaurant, practice pitching their ideas and create their premium product: the Ultimate S’more.

Life Fast Forward

Life Fast Forward is a reality fair game, created by Suncoast Credit Union, to teach financial literacy to middle and high school students. During the game, students engage in a hands-on, real-life financial simulation that introduces them to the realities of being a financially responsible young adult (between 23-30 years old). This program stresses the importance of budgeting, prioritizing, making smart spending decisions and saving money. Students gain valuable experience paying bills and making daily financial decisions that are essential to being a responsible adult.

Key objectives of the game:

• Illustrate how daily spending decisions affect overall life situations.
• Better understand how education affects future salary goals.
• Provide a hands-on experience that demonstrates the importance of budgeting and saving money.
• Provide an opportunity for dialogue between students and the career professionals.
• Understand the differences between a bank and a credit union.