the PRIVATE BANK of CALIFORNIA

The Private Bank of California Partners with Junior Achievement

Bank Employees Teach Los Angeles Youth the Value of Personal Finance

06.14.12

The Private Bank of California has partnered with Junior Achievement of Southern California (JASoCal) and recently devoted a day to educating youth on the value of personal finance, as part of the volunteer ‘JA Day’ program.  The Bank is fully supportive of the organization’s mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy and will actively contribute to its efforts.

JASoCal is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating students about entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness, through experiential, hands-on programs. Founded locally in 1954, as part of JA Worldwide, JASoCal programs will reach more than 90,000 students in Southern California this year through volunteer support from partners like The Private Bank of California.

“We are so grateful to have The Private Bank of California as a partner.  On JA Day, their employee volunteers taught students useful tools for their future and we look forward to the Bank’s continued involvement”, said Kat Delgado Kirkwood, Senior Director of Education for JASoCal.

The Private Bank of California’s volunteers were paired with several classrooms of students at the Mendez Learning Center near Downtown L.A. where they facilitated five lessons on JA Personal Finance, focusing on the importance and fundamentals of budgeting, investments, identity theft, credit scores and types of insurance.

The 9th grade students of the Title 1 School responded well to the lessons and especially enjoyed playing a budgeting game that allowed them to experience real-life budgeting situations.  Students said they look forward to putting the tools they learned to use, when the time comes.   

“We tried to incorporate real-world examples and personal experiences into the program to enhance learning through story-telling,” said Sergio Sepulveda, SVP/Relationship Manager at the Bank.  “It was rewarding to see their eagerness to learn and to know that we helped make a difference in the lives of kids that come from challenging situations.” 

For more information on JASoCal and ways to get involved, visit jasocal.org/get_involved.