Kitsap Credit Union provides educational opportunities to help people learn valuable financial skills. Information is available to people of all ages, but high school students are a strong focus. “Having the opportunity to provide financial wellness to those within our community has just been a tremendous value to those who are not only in need, but we’re really looking to build a stronger foundation with the youth within our community,” said Shawn Gilfedder, president and CEO of Kitsap Credit Union. The credit union often sees people when a financial issue is happening or has already happened, and the situation can be a significant stressor in their lives. “What we encourage individuals to do is make sure you come to us, and you establish a relationship first, before you have those lifecycle events and you find yourself in a situation where your finances may be strained,” Gilfedder said. Kitsap Credit Union works to help reduce financial stress and provide individuals a better opportunity. The KCU Financial Wellness Program is built to provide educational modules and curriculum for people of all ages. For high school students, there are more than 50 videos available, as well as worksheets, presentations, and articles. “It’s not just providing the curriculum, it’s really building a relationship and walking alongside them and helping them through as they are learning,” said Cathy Brorson, outreach coordinator, Kitsap Credit Union. Students learn basic financial essentials, like how to budget, how to establish credit, how to save money on groceries, how to live on their own and much more. Kitsap Credit Union employees go into classrooms, and work with teachers and students to get the program running. “It’s really flexible and any teacher can work it into their curriculum,” Brorson said. Through the program, students can earn a certification they can use on job applications or resumes. The KCU staff provides swag and prizes at the end of the program as well. This year, the program has already reached more than 5,600 students who have completed more than 28,800 learning modules and invested almost 13,000 hours of learning. To find out more about Kitsap Credit Union's free financial education, visit the KCU website. Educators or organization leaders looking to partner with KCU can email [email protected] for more information. Sponsored by Kitsap Credit Union. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KING 5's New Day Northwest is Western Washington's only local daytime talk show. Watch it weekdays at 11 a.m. PST on KING 5 TV and streaming live on http://www.king5.com. #newdaynw 🢒 Follow New Day Northwest! 🢐 FACEBOOK 🢒 https://www.facebook.com/newdaynw TWITTER 🢒 https://twitter.com/newdaynw INSTAGRAM 🢒 https://www.instagram.com/newdaynw