SIU Credit Union now offering free remote learning resources

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - SIU Credit Union wants to help provide resources to students during Illinois' current stay-at-home order, and to that end is providing financial literacy learning materials at no cost.

SIU Credit Union has partnered with Banzai to provide online financial literacy curriculum to 205 local schools in the southern Illinois area. The materials are available free.

"Banzai is a web-based financial literacy program. Kids get their own accounts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life," Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, said. "But because SIU Credit Union is sponsoring it, local schools get it for free. More than ever, it's important that kids develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world, and SIU Credit Union realizes that and they're doing something about it."

Banzai is an interactive, online program supplemented by printed workbooks and aligns with Illinois state curriculum requirements for personal finance education. The course work can be completed on any internet-enabled computer or mobile device, and teachers are able to monitor student progress remotely. It has become the largest program of its kind, serving more than 60,000 teachers nationwide.

Because the financial literacy curriculum is available for free, it may be used by students currently engaged in remote learning, which is every public school in the state currently.

Banzai immerses kids ages 8 and older, as well as teens, in a gamelike atmosphere to teach youngsters how to save, manage and spend money wisely.

According to SIU Credit Union, parents can create opportunities for meaningful conversations with their children and instill healthy attitudes toward finances at any age.

Follow the online link at https://siucu.learnbanzai.com/wellness/collections/banzai-courses to access the Banzai financial literacy courses.

Banzai is an award-winning financial literacy program that provides educational resources to more than 60,000 teachers nationwide, according to company information. It incorporates real-life scenarios such as paying rent, auto insurance, saving for unexpected accidents, college, and more.

SIU Credit Union hopes to make both parents and local teachers aware of this tool they can use free in their classrooms.