Columbia Standard

On Friday, February 24, Greenville Federal Credit Union and Greer High School held a joint press conference announcing the opening of a student-run branch at Greer High School. The Branch at Greer High is set to open in August of 2023.

The announcement was made live at Greer High with students and guests from the community, local and state government, Greenville Federal Credit Union, GCS Board of Trustees and District administration in attendance. This initiative brings real-world financial literacy and education into the school and allows students to gain real-life experience and preparation both for college and future careers as outlined in the District’s Graduation Plus initiative.

“This community and corporate partnership is an excellent example of how we provide hands-on experience for our students so they are college- and career-ready,” said Superintendent W. Burke Royster. “These students will have the opportunity to experience first-hand financial careers, putting knowledge to work in an actual business setting within their school. They are gaining the skills to be competitive in the real world while also learning the importance of financial responsibility.”

“Greenville Federal Credit Union has served the community of Greer for more than 25 years, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Greer High and Greenville County Schools to launch our second student branch,” said Paul Hughes, CEO of Greenville Federal Credit Union. “A lack of early financial literacy is a true barrier to long-term prosperity, and we feel it is our mission to help educate the community. Giving young people the opportunity to practice sound money management in a safe, supported environment will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”

Greer High School Principal Justin Ludley shares, “At Greer High, we focus on providing students with opportunities to find their passion in a future career field. We are honored and excited to begin a new partnership with Greenville Federal Credit Union. The opportunity to have a student-run financial institution in our school will empower student employees to build financial, marketing, and professional skills through expert training from Greenville Federal Credit Union. We are thankful for this partnership and look forward to officially opening The Branch at Greer High this fall.”

An application process will open this spring for students at Greer High interested in working within the branch.

This is the second student-run branch of Greenville Federal Credit Union to operate inside a Greenville County Schools high school. The Branch at Greenville High opened in 2016. Combined, the two programs represent a $1.2 million investment by the credit union towards supporting financial literacy efforts within public schools.

Original source can be found here.