Wayne Savings Bancshares : Sponsors Financial Literacy Program

Local students are getting a free education in how to manage their money. Wayne Savings Community Bank is working with Banzai-a national award-winning financial literacy program-to make curriculum available to six schools in Wooster, Rittman, Creston, and Ashland.

'Banzai is a web-based financial literacy program.Kids get their own accounts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life,' Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, said. 'But because Wayne Savings Community Bank is sponsoring it, local schools get it for free. More than ever, it's important that kids develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world, and Wayne Savings Community Bank realizes that and they're doing something about it.'

Wayne Savings Community Bank has offered time, money, industry experience, and a variety of bank resources to help local schools teach personal finance in the classroom. Students using the program are exposed to real-life scenarios where they learn to pay bills and balance a budget--but it's not always easy. Students must learn to manage unexpected expenses such as parking tickets, interest charges and overdraft fees. The educational program also introduces students to auto loans, bank statements, entertainment costs, savings and more.


'We are really pleased to be able to sponsor this interactive program to help students learn to manage money,' said Scott Morgan, mortgage lender at Wayne Savings and coordinator of the program with the area schools.


Too often students get out of school and they just aren't ready for the financial roller coasters life can give us,' Vandagriff said. 'Banzai teaches students to navigate those twists and turns and come out on top. We're excited to work with Wayne Savings Community Bank to improve financial literacy in local schools.

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Teachers interested in using the Banzai program can visit waynesavings.teachbanzai.com or call 888-8-BANZAI.