Over 950 Students Reached through Online Financial Education
Farmers & Merchants Bank Reaches Shenandoah Area Students through Online Financial Education Program
Over 950 students reached during the 2014-2015 school year
Local high schools took advantage of My Money, My Future a free, online financial literacy program sponsored by Farmers & Merchants Bank, at no cost to the schools, during the 2014-15 school year. Farmers & Merchants Bank has partnered with leading education technology company EverFi, Inc., to bring this interactive, web-based financial management program to over 2,000 students since the program’s inception in 2011. In the 2014-2015 school year alone, the program reached more than 950 students.
“Farmers & Merchants Bank is very proud of the number of students we have reached with critical financial education, as it is just one of the many indicators of our commitment to the community,” Dean Withers, President, said. “We are proud of these statistics and prouder yet of the students’ efforts to understand important aspects of personal finance like what a credit score means and how to save for college.”
The 957 students reached through My Money, My Future completed 7,901 individual modules of learning during the 2014-15 school year. The average overall knowledge gain of My Money, My Future students, according to pre- and post-assessment surveys, was 75 percentage points. Among the valuable topics covered were saving, banking, investing, renting versus owning, credit scores, taxes and insurance, and consumer fraud. Area students showed the most gain on the Financing Higher Education module, indicating improved knowledge about their future options.
“The program is engaging, interactive, practical, and 'real world',” said a high school teacher using the program. “I can't tell you how many times my students have made comments to the effect that they really appreciate learning things that they will actually use in the real world.”
Farmers & Merchants Bank has partnered with EverFi, Inc. to bring the program to local students at no cost to the schools or the taxpayer. The web-based program uses the latest in new media technology to bring complex financial concepts to life for today’s digital generation. The course offers over six hours of programming covering a variety of financial topics such as savings and investments, credit cards, and student loans. The platform uniquely tracks the progress and performance of every student and provides students who successfully complete the course with Certification in Financial Literacy, a valuable mark of distinction on college applications and resumes. EverFi’s curricula is highlighted in the CFPB’s April report, Policy Guide for Advancing K-12 Financial Education, for it’s innovative approach to teaching financial education and cutting-edge technology.
“EverFi strives to help today’s generation prepare for a lifetime of difficult financial decisions”, said EverFi CEO and Founder, Tom Davidson. “We are grateful for our partnership with Farmers & Merchants Bank which provides the critical tools students need to be informed and responsible consumers.”
About SPONSOR
F&M Bank serves the Shenandoah Valley with ten full-service branches, a network of ATMs, and a wide variety of financial services. Both individuals and businesses find the organization's local decision-making, and up-to-date technology provide the kind of responsive, knowledgeable, and reliable service that only a progressive community bank can. Farmers & Merchants Bank has grown to over $600 million in assets — celebrating its most successful year in history in 2014 — and boasts over 160 full and part-time employees. Its conservative approach to finances and sound investments, along with excellent customer service, has made F&M Bank profitable and continues to pave the way for a bright future.
About EverFi
EverFi, Inc. is the leading education technology company focused on teaching, assessing, and certifying K-12 and college students in the critical skills they need for life. The company teams with major corporations and foundations to provide the programs at no cost to K-12 schools. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EverFi investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Rethink Education, New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA), and Tomorrow Ventures (the investment arm of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt). Learn more at www.everfi.com.
