The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. A2 + B2 = C2. To be, or not to be… You finished each of those sentences in your head before you read them. The lessons we picked up in school stay with us, and today we are able to use a lot of those lessons to make our lives better, safer, and more comfortable. Don’t you wish school had better prepared you for other forms of “adulting”, like banking?

We agree with you! And when Dundee Bank saw both an opportunity to integrate money management into student’s real lives, and a chance to partner with some of our favorite neighbors to make it happen, you knew we had to take it!

The newest branches of Dundee Bank will open their doors for the first time January 24 and 25, but you’re probably not invited.

All Saints and Holy Name students will have access to deposit-only savings accounts, made available at these in-school locations. The Student Branches are located at both All Saints and Holy Name, and the grand openings are the culmination of more than a six-month planning process involving All Saints, Holy Name, Dundee Bank, and the UNO Center for Economic Education.

The branches are modeled after highly successful bank-in-the-school projects at twenty-eight other elementary schools across the state. More information can be found here: https://business.unl.edu/outreach/econ-ed/nebraska-council-on-economic-education/

The UNO Center for Economic Education began partnership with All Saints, Holy Name, and Dundee Bank earlier in the fall.

“Our role is to help plan projects that make these two schools special, provide professional development in economics and personal finance for the staff, and to help schools develop and select new economics lessons as part of their economics and financial literacy curriculum,” said Jamie Wagner.

These student branches are designed to:

• Introduce the economic concept of savings early and reinforce this idea throughout the elementary curriculum
• Demonstrate that saving should be part of a student’s personal finance plan for his or her future;
• Provide the opportunity to discover careers in the area of banking and finance
• Increase parental involvement through savings and banking activity

“All Saints Catholic School is honored and proud to be working with Dundee Bank and UNO in an effort to encourage financial literacy with all our students! Thank you so much for the opportunity!!!” said All Saints Principal, Terri Bush.

Starting January 24th and 25th, the student branches will be open once a week for savings deposits only. It will be staffed by an actual Dundee Bank representative and student tellers. Incentives will be provided as the students reach various savings goals. All students must obtain parental permission to participate. Each year, new students will have the opportunity to be part of the new teller group. These tellers go through an interview and training process with Dundee Bank. The branch will be closed over the summer months and reopen again during the school year. The students will maintain their accounts for the duration of their time at the school. Upon graduation, student savings members will be able to open their own savings accounts or withdraw the money. “Hopefully, they will be in the saving habit by then and will want to continue,” Jamie Wagner said.

We are grateful for this opportunity to be partnering in such a beneficial program, arming students with skills they will take with them (and find useful!) for the rest of their promising lives!