In a ceremony Monday in the Warner Chamber of the State Capitol, Gov. Jim Pillen declared April as Financial Awareness Month in Nebraska.

Pillen was joined by a large group of fifth- and sixth-graders from Utica, Wausa, Hebron, York, Weeping Water and Seward, as well as Director of the Department of Banking and Finance Kelly Lammers; Associate Professor of Practice in Economics at UNL Dr. Jennifer Davidson, who is also the president of the Nebraska Council on Economic Education; and the Economic Educator of the Year, Blake Teichmeier.

The students participate in in-school savings programs (ISSPs), where a bank or credit union sets up a branch at a local elementary school. Each week, students have the opportunity to deposit actual money and earn small rewards that incentivize them to save in much the way that accruing interest does.

At the end of their elementary school years, students close their accounts and walk away with their savings.

In the last year, students participating in Nebraska’s in-school savings programs saved more than $450,000. What began with NCEE’s first in-school savings program in 2002 has grown to 90 schools statewide.

This expansion has been made possible through partnerships with banks and credit unions across Nebraska, all committed to helping students develop strong financial habits early in life.

“You are learning financial skills that will serve you well for the rest of your lives,” Pillen said. “By educating yourself, you will be given the ability to make informed and responsible decisions as consumers, producers, workers, entrepreneurs and citizens. You might even choose to pursue a career in Nebraska – Nebraska is definitely open for business.”

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