Lessons in financial literacy are rarely at the top of any school’s agenda, yet it is a critical life skill that many leave high school without fully grasping. Recently, a program took place to deliver information on financial literacy to an even younger group of students, the classroom of Shelton Intermediate School teacher Susan DiMauro. This program was led by students who are Juniors and Seniors at Shelton High School, who also happen to be interns at Sikorsky Credit Union.
Sikorsky Credit Union’s “Live Large” program includes a paid internship where students have opportunities to not only work at the Credit Union, but also promote events and take a leadership role in financial literacy within their local communities. A presentation was created by four Shelton High Students and presented to each of Ms. DiMauro’s 10 business classes. Over the course of two days, 170 students learned about bank accounts, the basics of lending, and the importance of setting financial goals.
The presentation had a big impact on Ms. DiMauro. “I was very impressed with the interns and am very appreciative to host this presentation! It was easy to understand, included real world connections, and had interesting data. Students were highly engaged and learned a lot! I’m hoping this becomes a yearly opportunity for my classes.” Dan Ruskin of Sikorsky Credit Union works closely with the intern team and added: “Each year, we ask that the interns create a financial literacy program within their community. The students at Shelton High School jumped on this opportunity and gave Shelton Intermediate School students a very relevant and important lesson that was delivered in a way that I could not as an adult. I am very proud of my team.”
Earlier this year, Sikorsky Credit Union expanded their intern program to include Shelton High School. The Credit Union also operates their intern program at high schools in Ansonia, Oxford, Seymour and Stratford.
Sikorsky Credit Union high school interns Zach Kozlowski, Allison Dapp, Kindja Mweze and Siddharth Jain.