The National Credit Union Foundation’s (the Foundation) Board of Directors has approved three new Biz Kid$ Business Plan Competition Grants for 2019, totaling $25,000. These grants allow credit union organizations to use Biz Kid$ to provide economic and entrepreneurship education to youth to help them build a solid financial future.

Biz Kid$ Business Plan Competitions allow students to build their own business using knowledge from the series, while practicing financial education, entrepreneurial, public speaking, and teamwork skills. The creation of a business plan truly puts what they have learned in the classroom into action and provides hands on, outcomes based financial education to the students.

Granted projects include:

• Northwest Credit Union Foundation in Idaho, Oregon and Washington will host a competition to increase collaboration amongst credit unions in the northwest to increase awareness in the role credit unions play in improving community financial health. They will also collaborate with Junior Achievement and Financial Beginnings, organizations who have shared commitment to youth financial education, to help in judging the competition.
• Southeastern Credit Union Foundation in Alabama is going to work with the Greater Metro Birmingham Children’s Business Fair, partnering with credit unions and a local Young Credit Union Professional Group, to introduce the Business Plan Competition. This will increase their financial health reach in Alabama and help credit unions to connect with the students in the communities they serve.
• WEOKIE Credit Union Foundation in Oklahoma will provide education and training in financial education and entrepreneurship by bringing together credit unions, electric and agricultural cooperatives to partner with teachers and students participating in the Biz Kid$ contest. Through this grant, students will get excited about cooperatives and teachers across the state will receive training on instruction of personal finance and entrepreneurship.

Biz Kid$ is a financial education initiative launched nationally in January 2008 that teaches kids about money management and business. The initiative includes an award-winning TV series, free classroom curriculum, outreach activities and website (bizkids.com) targeting children 9-16 years old.

The number one goal of Biz Kid$ is to teach kids from upper elementary through high school to understand and incorporate the skills they need to successfully manage their financial lives. One goal of the Foundation’s Biz Kid$ grants is to extend the reach of the series beyond broadcast into the community.

For more information about Biz Kid$, click here or visit www.ncuf.coop/bizkids.

Questions about Biz Kid$ or the grant process can be directed to Danielle Brown at (608) 556-2406 or via email at dbrown@ncuf.coop.