Alternatives Federal Credit Union YCUP (Ithaca, NY)

Founded in 1990, in Ithaca, NY the Alternatives YCUP program serves 7 area schools with savings days. The program is run by one Alternatives FCU employee and teacher, parent, and student volunteers. They offer, in the schools, the basic services of a branch including check cashing, savings deposits, and the ability to make loan payments. The program offers a class about credit unions and financial literacy, and also offers summer jobs at Alternatives to student tellers. In the program students learn about saving and learn to save for long and short term savings goals.

• 1 Full Time staff person
• $800,000+ in Assets
• Volunteers
• Minimal Equipment: Laptop, telephone line, folding table

MissionSF YCUP (San Francisco, CA)

The Mission SF Community Financial Center YCUP was designed in 1996 by youth members of the Mission SF Federal Credit Union and its nonprofit affiliate the Mission SF Community Financial Center.  Now a division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union, the Mission SF YCUP is run by the Mission SF Community Financial Center in close collaboration with Self-Help Federal.  The program continues to be led by youth.

The program is funded by public and private grants, youth organized fundraisers, and in-kind support from the credit union. There are 2 paid adult program staff, a Director and Coordinator, who run the youth program and youth volunteers who staff the youth credit union's management team and its board of directors.

The program offers IDAs and short and long term savings accounts to youth. The YCUP also helps youth to move on to employment in other credit unions after they learn the necessary skills. This summer, the YCUP is starting a new program called Youth Trainers for Economic Power, a youth-to-youth training and advocacy program. We will train a team of 10 youth to deliver trainings to other youth in the community on basic money management, college preparation, and financial services and institutions, and will give them a chance to participate in campaigns to improve the financial services in their neighborhoods.

• 2 Adult Staff, Paid and Volunteer Youth Staff
• Grant Funded
• Youth Run
• 500 members, 25 youth staff and more than $75,000 in assets
 

Northwest Baptist Federal Credit Union YCUP (Seattle, WA)

The Northwest Baptist Federal Credit Union YCUP program was formed in 1993 in Seattle, WA. The program is designed for junior high and high school students and is funded by private and public grants, organized fundraisers and in-kind support from the adult credit union. The program is run by one NW Baptist FCU staff employee and a volunteer adult youth coordinator.

Financial literacy and training on the basic operation of a credit union are the main focus of our program. The youth elect their own officers every year and determine themselves most of the activities that they will participate in. The CEO and Youth Coordinator determine the training curriculum and arrange their participation in the financial workshops, conferences and summits that it is decided on that they will participate in during the year. Several of the youth are given the opportunity during the summer months to work in the credit union as youth interns and are paid a stipend. Youth from the geographical community that covers our charter are encouraged and invited to join the program and learn how to become more financially knowledgeable and to start the process of preparing them to be the financial leaders of the future.

• Grant funded
• Volunteer and paid staff
• 15 Members
• $24,000

Shreveport Federal Credit Union (Shreveport, LA)

Shreveport Federal Credit Union developed T.H.E. Club, Teens Headed for Excellence in 2003. This club serves the Caddo and Bossier Parish area to educate the youth on financial literacy and community service. We have a total of 456 members, $47,000 in assets, and 1 coordinator. T.H.E. has summer internship programs, Financial Literacy Workshops, and a variety of community service projects. We are currently working on individual business plans where the top 3 will be financed by Shreveport Federal Credit Union.

• $47,000 in Assets
• 456 members
• One Coordinator

For more information about our youth programs please contact Pamela Owens at powens@cdcu.coop or (800)437-8711 x215.