SAN DIEGO—Mission Federal Credit Union has made a $1 million donation and has become the naming sponsor in support of “Junior Achievement of San Diego County’s Mission Fed JA Finance Park” program.
That new program is focused on increasing the financial literacy of San Diego high school students and entails the redevelopment of Junior Achievement curriculum with the use of tablets and mobile apps to “prepare tech-savvy millennials for financial success,” according to the credit union.
“One of the ways Mission Fed gives back to the community is through our commitment to financial education,” said Angie Lasagna, vice president of community relations for Mission Fed, in a statement. “High schools aren’t always able to offer the types of economics courses that help students learn to budget their money. That is where Mission Fed JA Finance Park can play a key role. We want to do our part to help high school students gain the skills they’ll need to manage their money and reach their goals as confident, successful members of the community, and we hope to do this for Mission Fed JA Finance Park in perpetuity.”
According to JA and Mission Federal, digital curriculum and custom software enable high school students to engage in real-world financial activities, such as online banking and paying bills via tablet PCs, while being introduced to concepts such as insurance, credit and long-term investments. “The curriculum also supports real-world simulations where students choose a San Diego job and know their salary, marital status, number of children and their FICO score. Then they shop in the 19 businesses in the park, making choices on how to budget and live within their means,” the two organizations said.
The Mission Fed JA Finance Park starts in the classroom with teachers and community expert volunteers teaching six to nine lessons, where students study income, saving, investing and risk management, and credit. Students are then taken on a one-day field trip to the park to practice what they’ve learned in a real-world setting. In addition to high school students, nonprofits that offer financial literacy will be welcome to use the park after hours, on weekends or during holidays when school is not in session.
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