Forty-seven credit union professionals became Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) after being guided by dedicated program facilitators and mentors through the intensive Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training from the National Credit Union Foundation.

DE training provides critical lessons in cooperative principles, credit union philosophy and international development issues while incorporating challenges credit unions face today.

The most recent DE graduating class included credit union movement representatives from across the U.S, as well as representatives from the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, The Gambia, Kenya, and St. Michael.

During the recent week-long program, participants were involved in group exercises, field trips, and discussions with speakers from around the credit union system. They are required to complete team projects proposing solutions for credit unions to help alleviate or eliminate challenging situations in any given area.

For this class’ final case studies, participants worked through and presented solutions to critical issues that included student loan debt;board development and recruiting, including the debate over compensation; building microfinance programs in developing countries; credit union solutions to predatory lending; the issue of increasing homelessness in America; and rejuvenating a stagnant credit union.

Below, Thomas Lenhart, operations trainer at Fairfax (Va.) County Federal Credit Union, discusses what he learned from the DE program.