MANKATO — Second grade might seem young to instill financial literacy, but bank employee Marie Krause argues it’s not so.
“Every time we have an opportunity to instill those values in kids in schools, it’s beneficial in our communities as they grow and become citizens and co-workers when they’re old enough,” she said.
Krause is vice president marketing director of Pioneer Bank, which donated books to regional second-grade classrooms in recognition of Financial Literacy Month in April.
More than 100 books were donated to 52 classroom libraries earlier this month, she said. About 25 Pioneer Bank staff participated in the project. Some employees read with students and talked about Financial Literacy Month and why learning about money is important.
“They discussed why banks matter, how kids can save and spend their money, and the kinds of jobs people have at a bank,” she said.
The books donated to area schools were “Ella the Banker” and “Ella the Banker Let Us Save,” which were both written by Shamim Okolloh and Liam Sprinkle.
It’s the first year for the book-distribution effort. The initiative is part of Pioneer Bank’s Bright Project, which aims to make a positive difference in the communities it serves.
“Our goal is to make learning about money fun and accessible from a young age,” David Krause, Pioneer Bank chief executive officer, stated in a release. “By donating these books, we hope to spark curiosity, promote financial literacy, and empower students to feel confident in their money skills.”
Pioneer Bank officials selected schools in their service area to receive the donated books. Those schools were in Mankato, North Mankato, St. Peter, Mapleton, Madelia, St. James and Lake Crystal.
“One of our pillars is to help provide financial literacy to our communities,” Marie Krause said. “This is a unique way to do that. These books were donated to the classroom libraries. They were two new books to read about a different job in their community and in the financial industry, which is banking.”