Hudson River Community Credit Union is dedicated to providing financial literacy for youth to help prepare them for the real world and improve the quality of their lives. As part of this initiative, the credit union has made available the following free resources for teachers to use in their classrooms:

brass|STUDENT PROGRAM

In a collaborative effort, brass|MEDIA Inc. has partnered with 15 New York State Credit Unions, including HRCCU, as well as the New York Credit Union Foundation, the New York State Education Department, and the Business Teachers Association of New York State, to assist junior and senior public high school students in understanding money, and how it impacts their lives. brass|MEDIA Inc., a young adult muti-media company, publishes brass|MAGAZINE. The magazine was conceived by Bryan Sims while in a high school business class and grew from his vision to make money a cool and relevent topic to young adults everywhere. Written for young adults by young adults, brass|MAGAZINE helps its readers understand how to make, manage and multiply money. brass|MAGAZINE reaches more than a quarter-million readers nationwide.

The three components of the Brass|STUDENT PROGRAM include:

• brass|Magazine

The brass|MAGAZINE sees readers eye-to-eye and shows them how to make, manage and multiply money. Participating public high schools receive sets of brass|MAGAZINE for classroom use. Entertaining, informative and motivating, brass|MAGAZINE focuses on events in a young adult's live, which creates relevant content for classroom discussions and activities.

To view the current HRCCU brass|Magazine click here!

• brass|TEACHER RESOURCE CENTER

The brass|TEACHER RESOURCE CENTER provides online classroom materials that directly correlate with the articles in brass|MAGAZINE. This interactive resource presents lessons, teaching tools and strategies to facilitate the use of the magazine's content. Teachers are encouraged to participate by contributing and sharing their lessons and activities with one another. By registering, teachers have complete access to content and can contribute resources for classroom use.

• CREDIT UNIONS for COLLEGE

CREDIT UNIONS for COLLEGE is a searchable database of credit union-supported scholarships.  This resource offers students a convenient, one-stop search for scholarship opportunities in their geographic region.  Students can download information or go directly to the sponsoring credit union's website for additional details. Once registered, students can track scholarships they are interested in by storing and retrieving their searches.

To view the current HRCCU student scholarship program click here!

HRCCU's GR8 2B Young Program

It's great to be young with no decisions to make, except which movie to choose and how large a bag of popcorn to buy. But those days will eventually end to be replaced with bigger decisions like, how to make sure you have the cash when it comes time to pay the rent, cell phone bill, or car payment. Don't get caught unprepared. Start gaining the necessary skills now by enrolling in HRCCU's GR8 2B Young Program. Opening a checking and savings account and building credit are key toward establishing your independence. This program, designed for the 15-25 crowd, is perfect for young adults who have begun their first job or are attending college

For more information on the GR8 2B Young program and to view the benefits click here!

NEFE High School Financial Planning Program

The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is the only private, national foundation wholly dedicated to improving the financial well-being of all Americans. Its work is grounded in the belief that regardless of background or income level, financially informed individuals are better able to take control of their circumstances, improve their quality of life, and ensure a stable future for themselves and their families. NEFE accomplishes its mission primarily by forming partnerships with other organizations (i.e. credit unions) to provide financial education to members of the public. NEFE believes its partnerships represent the most effective means of addressing the different educational needs of widely varying segments of the public.

This curriculum is sponsored by NEFE in partnership with Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, USDA, and Participating Land-Grant University Cooperative Extension Services, and Credit Union National Association, Inc., and America's Credit Unions as a public service to enhance the financial literacy of youth.  The NEFE High School Financial Planning (HSFPP) is a six-unit course that acquaints students with basic financial planning concepts and illustrates how these concepts apply to everyday life.  In a sense, the program is a "preventive" one, teaching personal financial responsibility today to help students avoid financial difficulty tomorrow. The goal is to increase the financial literacy of America's teens.

Students study topics such as:

• Time and Value of Money
• Earning an Income
• Saving Money
• Protecting Assets
• Establishing and Prioritizing Financial Goals
• Understanding the Cost of Using Credit
• Developing a Budget

all in the context of a teen's experiences.

To request your free materials from NEFE please contact HRCCU's Marketing Department at 518-654-9028.

For more information visit www.nefe.org or visit the NEFE teen resource bureau NTRBonline.org at http://hsfpp.nefe.org/students/index2.cfm?deptid=15.

In School Presentations

HRCCU staff are available to present financial education topics in area public schools.

A list of topics are as follows:

• Applying for Your First Car Loan
• Understanding Credit Scores
• The Importance of Saving Young
• Budgeting
• Student Loans
• Buying versus Renting
• ID Theft Prevention

To schedule a presentation contact HRCCU's marketing department at 518-654-9028.