Inspire Teens to Unlock the Smart Benefits of a Debit Card!

In a time where financial literacy is increasingly necessary, providing young adults with the instruments to manage money responsibly is paramount. As partners to Junior Achievement of Maine, Evergreen Credit Union (EGCU) sponsors and volunteers with the organization, helping to spread awareness and education on good money management and habits for success. 

As volunteers, EGCU employees deliver learning experiences focused on financial literacy, work and career readiness and entrepreneurship to students in their classrooms. Learning experience topics range from the mechanics of a community and economy - including taxes, voting, making a profit and managing a business; practicing skill sets for success such as interviewing and presenting a business plan; to curriculum that drills down to the details of healthy financial habits to help students build a foundation on which they can make intelligent financial decisions that last a lifetime, including decisions related to income, expenses, savings, and credit.

JA learning experiences are designed for students K-12th grade. Second grade classrooms learn about profit, needs versus wants, money, and making choices on what to do with that money through the JA Our Community learning experience. While middle schoolers graduate with that knowledge to programs that focus on thinking critically to connect today's financial choices with their future in the digital economy through the JA Economics for Success. By the time they reach high school, they're prepared to compete in the JA Titan challenge, which is a simulation based program that puts them in the CEO seat of a cell-phone company. Students don't have to have prior experience participating in JA learning experiences to be able to take advantage of them at any age or grade-level.

These learning experiences are designed to bridge the gap between in-school learning and real life career opportunities. Partnerships with credit unions like Evergreen Credit Union, helps bring what students learn to life. Their insight as professionals, and the services their companies provide allows students to take their knowledge outside of the classroom and apply them to tools like savings accounts and debit cards to build credit and save for future goals. 

Among these items, a teen debit card stands out as a practical and educational tool. Piggy banks and allowance systems do have their merits, but the modern teen debit card attached to a checking account offers a host of additional benefits that align with the digital age and the ever-evolving financial landscape.

Here are three great values your teen will experience with a new debit card, according to Evergreen Credit Union:

1. Build Financial Responsibility:

Using a debit card provides an excellent platform for youth to learn about financial management in a practical hands-on manner. By having their own debit card, teenagers can experience firsthand the responsibilities and consequences associated with spending, saving, and budgeting. This direct involvement in managing their finances fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. These are essential skills for navigating the complexities of adulthood.

2. Maintain Awareness Through Digital Banking:

With a checking account and attached debit card, teens have access to digital banking. Young adults will be able to manage accounts, track transactions, and use digital payment platforms at their fingertips, 24/7. This exposure enhances their financial and technological literacy. It also prepares them for the increasingly digitized financial landscape they will encounter as adults.

3. Protect Finances with Security Features:

Unlike cash, which can be lost or stolen without replacement, debit cards offer advanced security features to safeguard against fraud and unauthorized transactions. As we know debit cards linked to checking accounts often feature security measures such as tap-to-pay, encryption chips, and fraud monitoring systems to protect cardholders' information. By educating teens on the importance of card security and responsible online behavior, we can instill good habits that will serve them well in the future.

Prepare your young adult for a financially responsible future. With the right guidance, they can build lifelong habits of budgeting, security awareness, and smart financial decision-making.

To bring Junior Achievement and it's learning experiences foucsed on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work and career readiness into your classroom (or your child's classroom) reach out to our Program Team. They can set each classroom up with a JA learning experience and volunteer to help Maine students gain a better grasp of good money management and skill sets to set them up for a successful future.