COOK, Minn. (5/22/15)--Students from the “Bunch of Students Saving” (B.O.S.S.) program at a school in Cook, Minn., recently received a visit from Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Department of Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman, who wanted to commend them for winning the first-place national Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award, presented by CUNA.

The B.O.S.S. students helped Cook Area CU found a student-run credit union branch at North Woods School in Cook.

Dayton and Rothman presented awards to the students who manage the branch, called the Money Cave, during their visit. They also presented awards to students running an in-school branch called the Jungle Cave in a school in Culver, Minn., which opened in April.

“Through their work with the student branch, these students will continue to help their peers learn more about how to make wise and informed financial decisions,” said Rich Crettol, Cook Area CU president/CEO, adding that it was an honor to have the governor and commissioner attend the school to recognize the students and what they have achieved.

Each year, CUNA presents the Desjardins awards, which recognize credit unions that prioritize financial education. Rothman received CUNA’s Desjardins Financial Education Award for State Government Policymakers in 2014.

Crettol; Jody Feist, Cook Area community education coordinator; and Pete Niska, board member, accepted the Desjardins award during CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference in March.

“This is a tremendous program for all of you--both the schools and the credit union,” Dayton said. “Thank you for making this happen, and I hope we have many more of these student branches statewide in the future.”