Local teens master money + professional skills at 10 high school credit union branches

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Lunchtime at Mae Jemison High now includes something you don’t see every day: a student-run branch of Redstone Federal Credit Union.

The new high school credit union branch, which held its grand opening on Sept. 18, is the first for Redstone in Huntsville City Schools and one of 10 throughout the region.

Read on to see how these mini-branches help teens master money and gain leadership skills through real-world banking training and experiences.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Jemison High branch

Inside the Jemison High branch, student workers count cash, make deposits and greet classmates during the lunch hour each day. For a week this summer, they completed a training course to teach them basic skills to operate the branch and soft skills for professional interaction.

“We actually put our core system inside of those schools. So when they post a transaction, it’s actually going into the system like you would at any other branch. The difference is they’re handling small dollar amounts and very simple transactions. They handle deposits and withdrawals and balance the vault at the end of the day.

“These kids come in very uncomfortable talking to adults, kind of shy, but by the time they leave, they gain so much confidence. They start looking people in the eye and talking to them on a professional level. It is just amazing watching them mature and grow.”
_{Nathan Lombard, Redstone Federal Credit Union Senior Assistant Vice President / Schools Program & Financial Education}

You can learn more about Redstone’s Schools Program on the organization’s website.

Teachers see real-world impact

Jemison High School Business Education Teacher Toya Bell helps students translate classroom lessons into branch operations, which can then lead to long-term opportunities in the workforce.

“I teach personal finance and business management skills. With this program, the students are learning a lot of leadership skills, the ins and outs of banking and how to be a teller. After high school, the students may also have the opportunity to have a job at one of the credit unions.”
_{Toya Bell, Jemison High School}

Did you know Redstone offers financial education resources to people of all ages? Visit the website for more details.

Students gain confidence + consider careers in finance

For Jemison High School junior Ava Brown, her involvement in the school’s Student Government Association required her to work in the new Redstone Federal Credit Union student branch. At the same time, the experience is already reshaping her perspective and sparking ideas about the future.

“This program is equipping me with bank telling skills and I get to learn how banking works and the different systems that tellers interact with daily. As I told my mom, this program has made me reconsider some of the job fields that I was thinking about before. Maybe sometime in the future, I might become a Redstone employee.”
_{Ava Brown, Jemison High School student}

If so, she’d be following a growing trend: To date, Redstone has hired nine of its student workers after they graduated and awarded $88,000 to student workers through its scholarship program.

Learn more about Redstone’s Schools Program on its website.

Redstone’s high school credit union branch locations + fast facts

Founded in 2017, the program has trained 356 students and now spans 10 high schools and three colleges across North Alabama and Middle Tennessee:

• Hartselle High in Hartselle
• Austin High in Decatur
• Decatur High in Decatur
• Bob Jones High in Madison
• James Clemens High in Madison
• Scottsboro High in Scottsboro
• Hazel Green High in Hazel Green
• Mae Jemison High in Huntsville
• Siegel High in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Blackman High in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Curious about other ways Redstone invests in the community? Visit its website to learn more.

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