October 30, 2012 Mexico, Maine – As part of the Partners in Education program, offered by the Oxford Hills Education Exchange, Oxford Federal Credit Union (OFCU) is partnered with Oxford Hills Middle School (OHMS) in South Paris, Maine. OFCU is in their fourth year of partnering with OHMS and is committed to bringing financial literacy education to students. For the second year in a row, OHMS eighth graders were taught How to Open and Use a Checking Account, providing hands on activities to learn the basics of using a checking account responsibly and participated in Financial Fun @ the Farm, a program created by Oxford Federal Credit Union. Financial Fun @ the Farm consists of four events held simultaneously, where students had the opportunity to practice their newly acquired financial skills. The events included programs by Oxford Federal Credit Union, Financial Authority of Maine (FAME), Healthy Oxford Hills and the Norway Paris Farmer’s Union.
“OFCU is committed to inspiring and enabling financial responsibility at an early age,” said Susan Graves, VP, Branch Administration at OFCU. “Even with so much new technology, it’s still important for students to learn good, basic financial habits.” In the classroom, eighth graders learned how to write checks, endorse checks, fill out deposit slips, balance checkbooks and use a debit card with materials supplied by OFCU. “Students need to learn how to record and track their money. Online banking mirrors how a checkbook register works, so even though checks may become obsolete one day, students need to understand how the register works to be able to understand their online banking accounts”, said Graves.
After completing the classroom work, OFCU sponsored a field trip to Harvest Hill Farms, where students used their new skills in a fun way wielding their way through a corn maze where they stopped at “checkbook stations” within the maze, manned by OHMS teachers and OFCU staff. Students were required to write checks, record transactions in their register, or perform other financial tasks they learned in class in order to proceed through the maze. OFCU supplied each student with a checkbook and register, clipboard with calculator, pencil, and backpack to carry their supplies.
OFCU reached out to the community and asked some local businesses and organizations to provide additional financial education for the students. In all, there were four learning activities at Financial Fun @ the Farm that students rotated through; FAME presented their Get A Life game, where students learned about budgeting their money with the salary they earned; Healthy Oxford Hills taught students about healthy eating and healthy living; representatives from Paris Farmers Union gave a presentation in the barn about the cost of owning a pet. Students were required to write checks at each of these programs.
“The kids have a great time and at the same time practiced check writing. They also had the opportunity to learn so much more from the other programs,” said Kim Davis, Marketing Coordinator at OFCU. “It won’t be long before these 8th graders are getting jobs and opening their own checking accounts and now they will be prepared and know how to use their accounts responsibly.”
Oxford Federal Credit Union
Anyone who lives, works, attends school or worships in Oxford County, Maine can become a member at OFCU. For more information about Oxford Federal Credit Union visit their website at www.ofcu.org
Harvest Hill Farms
Harvest Hill Farms owner Peter Bolduc purchased the Route 26 farm four years ago and has been renovating the buildings and bringing the farm back to life ever since. Bolduc has been steadily renovating all the buildings on the property and creating Maine’s premier Agri-tainment destination and the home of Pumpkin Land. From September 15th through Halloween, October 31st, they offer Fall Harvest tours to schools, church groups, preschool nurseries and other groups during the week. In September Pumpkin Land and the Big Corn Maze are open on weekends and in October the haunted night attraction, "The Gauntlet" opens. Harvest Hill Farms and Pumpkin Land is Maine's premier fall destination for the young and the young at heart. For more information on Harvest HillFarms go to their website at: www.harvesthillfarms.com
Paris Farmers Union
Paris Farmers Union has been serving New Englanders since 1919. Paris Farmers Union offers several options for backyard animal feeds, dozens of pet food brands and the finest of caged pet feeds and wild birdseeds. Gina Nash, assistant store manager and animal feeds specialist of the Paris Farmers Union flagship store at 227 Main Street, South Paris, Maine offers knowledgeable, sound advice on what feeds give the best result for your budget. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to supplies, supplements, treats and medicinal applications for the backyard farmer. Jason Harris, feeds specialist with the Kent Nutrition Group, which includes Blue Seal Feeds is readily available to further assist and to help determine best feed options and to offer forage analysis and other great services. Paris Farmers Union, your home, farm, garden and pet supply center since 191. You should stop by and ‘experience the ‘experience’. For more information go to our website at www.parisfarmersunion.com
Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)
FAME was established as Maine's business finance agency in 1983 and charged with supporting the start up, expansion and growth plans of Maine's business community. The agency began working closely with Maine's lending community to improve access to capital as well as to help fill gaps that exist in the State's capital delivery system. To meet the financing needs of Maine's business community, FAME offers a wide array of business assistance programs, ranging from traditional loan insurance programs for both small and larger businesses, to tax credits for investments that individuals make in dynamic, growth-oriented, manufacturing or export-related firms. FAME has also established taxable and tax-exempt bond financing programs that allow strong, creditworthy firms in Maine to access capital at very favorable rates and terms. In April of 1990, FAME's mission was significantly expanded when the agency assumed responsibility for administering the State's higher education finance programs. Through a variety of loan, grant and scholarship programs, FAME helps Maine students and families meet the costs associated with higher education. To aid in this important effort, FAME also oversees an extensive outreach and counseling program that is designed to encourage young people to aspire to and pursue higher education. FAME is committed to innovative, flexible solutions that address the needs of Maine individuals and companies in a changing economic landscape. With a core competency in finance, and a highly experienced staff, FAME is the place to turn to for resources that build success
Healthy Oxford Hills
Healthy Oxford Hills (HOH) is a community coalition operating as a Healthy Maine Partnership. The Healthy Maine Partnerships (HMPs), funded primarily by the Master Tobacco Settlement are mandated to build coalitions and partnerships locally to improve nutrition and physical activity and to fight tobacco, alcohol and other drug abuse.
Healthy Oxford Hills was started in 2000, and we are in our 7th year of working on community health issues. The new cycle of state funding has mandated HMPs to become more comprehensive in our scope and to begin to provide community education and prevention services not only for nutrition, physical activity, tobacco and other substances that are abused but to support self-management of additional chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer and lung diseases, asthma and dementia.