On August 22, 2018, Cardinal Credit Union, accompanied by Skipper, The Lake County Captains’ baseball team mascot, donated 100 backpacks replete with school supplies, to students at Royalview Elementary School located in Willowick.  This initiative correlates to Cardinal’s aggressive financial literacy education campaign: instructing students 2 to 26 years of age on the importance of smart money management.

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools forged a strategic financial education partnership with Cardinal Credit Union through the launch of a full-service credit union branch on the Eastlake campus of Northern Career Institute (NCI). The official opening was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony early last fall. The partnership will empower students by providing them volunteer opportunities and financial literacy education.

The branch, housed in the school’s student center, will be open to all NCI students, faculty, staff and community members on Fridays, with the possibility of the hours expanding as demand for the branch’s services increases. Serving as the cornerstone of a disciplined, integrated financial literacy education program, the branch will provide access and exposure to a not-for-profit financial cooperative with a strong emphasis on saving, informed use of credit, and responsible money management skills such as thrift, smart spending, as well as opportunities for one-on-one financial counseling.

“We are living in an age when it’s more important than ever for students of all ages to have financial literacy skills,” said Gina Kevern, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment at Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools. “By partnering with Cardinal Credit Union, we can give students an opportunity to learn and apply these skills in a safe, real-world environment, while also providing the campus community with a valuable and convenient service. The partnership will also connect students to hands-on learning opportunities and internships — which is especially beneficial given today’s demanding economic environment.

Cardinal will collaborate with Northern Career Institute educators to author financial literacy content to be part of in-class lectures and collaborative teaching. It will also host seminars, lunch-and learn workshops and other events.

“Students who are exposed to financial education before college are better prepared for life outside of the classroom,” said Cardinal CEO Christine Blake. “Learning how to manage their finances early on is a critical part of their long-term success.”

NCI joins Lake Catholic, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Hiram College, and Lakeland Community College as one of four academic institutions housing a branch of Cardinal Credit Union. Cardinal is scheduled to expand branch operations to North and South high schools once the district opens their new facilities in 2019. 

Cardinal has subsisted as a fiercely-independent, member-owned financial cooperative since 1953.  It offers a broad range of banking products and services that people need and use every day – including checking accounts, CDs, credit cards, auto loans, debt-consolidation loans, mortgages and more.  As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, any profits earned by the credit union are returned to its members in the form of lower fees, lower loan rates and higher savings interest.

Cardinal currently services nine counties in Ohio, more than 30,000 members, with combined assets of over $254 million.  Throughout its history, Cardinal has been committed to helping its members achieve a brighter financial future.  As part of that promise, Cardinal has saved its members nearly $1 million in reduced interest rates and fees in 2018 alone.