Credit Union Sponsorship of Biz Kid$ and Partnership with Junior Achievement Worldwide
Click hear to listen to a radio program about JA’s Biz Kid$
Background:
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Junior Achievement is partnering with the former producers of Bill Nye the Science Guy and has asked the credit union movement to act as an underwriter for the project.
- Called Biz Kid$, the plan is to produce a fun, half-hour television series on entrepreneurship and financial literacy teaching millions of kids how to make and manage their money.
- The show will target elementary and lower middle school kids across the nation.
- Biz Kid$ will do for financial literacy what Bill Nye did for science.
Who are the producers?
- The Biz Kid$ producers were responsible for Bill Nye the Science Guy. Together, they’ve won 26 Emmy Awards.
- Bill Nye was accepted as curriculum in schools across the nation (and internationally—the program has been distributed to over 150 countries around the world).
- Bill Nye has run continuously from 1993 until the present (13 years).
What is Junior Achievement?
- Junior Achievement uses hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life. In partnership with business and educators, Junior Achievement brings the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential.
- Junior Achievement in the United States reaches more than 4 million students each year in 178,000 classrooms in 143 cities, in suburbs and rural areas.
Why should credit unions get involved?
- This partnership will open the doors to schools that have been otherwise inaccessible to credit union educators
- The project will produce measurable results (viewership via ratings, numbers of students reached during outreach in schools through JA).
- The Biz Kid$ project will demonstrate the credit union principle of social responsibility, and provide a visible example of outreach to our communities.
- The project is also a forceful response to bank arguments that credit unions shouldn’t be involved in member business lending.
In return for underwriting the program, credit unions essentially get:
- A nationally broadcast, credit union awareness cooperative TV branding campaign.
- Show content that will educate families about the credit union difference (for example, one show will feature a high school credit union branch).
- Kids engaged and interested in financial literacy (and their parents too!)
The Biz Kid$ show will also serve as the cornerstone of a broader business education campaign with multiple levels of outreach. Imagine the possibilities such as a strong web component, interactive DVDs, business start-up kits, and seminars…maybe even a Biz Kid$ micro-credit loan for kids starting up their own businesses and only available at their local participating credit unions!
Finally, the Biz Kid$ curriculum will be integrated into schools through the extensive network already established by Junior Achievement. It will open doors for credit unions into classrooms that have otherwise been inaccessible.
Project investment costs:
- The first year of programming will cost approximately $2.6 million dollars.
- Acting as steward for the project, the Washington Credit Union Foundation has already raised $1.7 million in pledges.
We know there is a great need for financial literacy training in America. We also know that when we work cooperatively together—we get things done! To learn more about the project, point your web browser to: www.waleague.org/bizkids.html
Biz Kid$ Partners
Pledge form (Word .doc)
Pledge form (Adobe .pdf)
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