Students at West Manor Elementary are eager and ready to save. At the beginning of the school year, students and staff hosted a school bank ribbon cutting ceremony. The bank officially opened for business on Friday, October 26, 2012.
West Manor, in partnership with Capitol City Bank, established the school bank so students can learn and understand the fundamentals of finance at an early age. Capitol City Bank has also opened accounts for each student. The bank will help expose students to banking procedures and responsibilities.
According to Jennifer Whitaker-Graham, a teacher at West Manor, the goal of the In-School Banking and Financial Literacy Program is to foster astute students capable of transitioning into sound and financially capable adults.
“Throughout the program, ten to fifteen students will be trained as Bank Officers each year,” she explained. “These students will be trained to conduct all bank functions, such as serving as customer service reps, tellers, and data entry.”
Once a month, Bank Officers will operate the bank under the guidance of a Capitol City Bank Manager. Students will be able to make deposits (with no minimum amount) throughout the school year and receive bank statements of their savings progress, and incentives.
Capitol City will also assist parents in increasing their financial literacy by providing workshops and access to their banking products.