Posted On: April 3, 2025 by Prevail Bank in: Banking
(2025) At Prevail Bank, we believe investing in the future means providing the next generation with essential financial skills. That’s why we proudly support and partner with local K-12 Junior Achievement (JA) programs and participate in the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation’s Reading Raises Interest event every year.
Through funds and personnel, we help ensure money management curriculums, instruction guides, classroom materials and activities are available to educators. From these materials, students acquire budgeting, saving, and investing skills, in addition to learning what is possible if critical thinking is used to make informed financial choices.
Prevail Bank is in the Classroom, Making a Difference
We encourage our employees to volunteer with Junior Achievement to help educators teach financial literacy topics. They are literally side-by-side with the classroom teacher facilitating a thought-provoking money management topic. They engage students, answer their questions, lead activities, facilitate discussions and/or financial literacy competitions, in addition to providing mentorship. These students range in age from kindergarteners to seniors in high school.
National Teach Children to Save Day provides Prevail Bank with yet another opportunity to interact with young learners. The Wisconsin Bankers Foundation (WBF) provides us with age-appropriate books to read to students, in addition to discussion questions that complement the book, and fun participatory activities. The books feature characters of similar ages who ultimately learn and develop healthy saving habits.
2025’s book, “Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock” by Sheila Bair, was about twins, Rock and Brock, who were propositioned by their grandfather. He told them he would give each of them a dollar, every Saturday, for 10 weeks. But there was a catch. They would have to save that dollar if they wanted him to match it. If that dollar was spent, no match would be made. You can guess that one twin saved his money, while the other did not.
Over the past three years, Prevail Bank has invested $57,123 in financial education and contributed 161 hours of volunteer time, teaching money management skills to children of all ages.
Why It Matters
Junior Achievement and WBF’s Reading Raises Interest programs are important to Prevail Bank’s mission. They equip students with the essential tools to understand personal finances and prepare them for a successful future. The curriculums teach students how to budget, save, avoid debt, and achieve their goals. Economic challenges are better managed by those who receive money management education. From a community’s perspective, financial literacy creates a financially savvy generation that will contribute positively to its local economy.
Want to Get Involved?
Financial education is crucial for long-term stability and success. If you’re passionate about supporting this cause, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin offers several ways for you to get involved. Are you someone who’s looking to volunteer, part of a district or school looking for educational materials, part of a business looking to help expand the reach of JA’s mission, or would you simply like to donate? Go to www.wisconsin.ja.org
Prevail Bank’s Charitable Contributions Committee, when it can, makes it a priority to monetarily support those nonprofits that provide financial management education. If you are one of those organizations, check out: /resources/community
At Prevail Bank, we’re committed to your financial well-being and the future of your children. If you’re interested in teaching your child the importance of saving, open them (and yourself) a savings account and participate in our Saving Makes Cents - a savings program. Go to: www.prevail.bank/personal/banking/savings
