Dakota West Credit Union Awards Financial Literacy Education Grant To McLean County School

(WATFORD CITY, ND, 13 March 2020) – Recognizing the importance of personal financial literacy in North Dakota youth, Dakota West Credit Union awarded its first Financial Literacy Education Grant to Suzy Jacobson of Washburn Public School. Jacobson will present a program designed to teach students where money comes from and where it goes to her fifth and sixth grade students.

The goal of the Financial Literacy Education Grants is to award teachers $250 to bring financial education into their classrooms and educate their students on the importance of focusing on personal financial responsibility.

“I would like my students to get a basic understanding of money – where does it come from? How and why do we save? Most kids think that parents’ money is endless,” wrote Jacobson

Dakota West staff members will partner with Jacobson to develop her program, and the be on hand at the school to help facilitate the topics later this spring. Jacobson’s winning grant was announced on Thursday, March 12 on Dakota West Credit Union’s Facebook page.

“Helping them understand the concepts behind money movement is a good place to begin understanding personal financial responsibility.” Juliet Jones, Marketing Coordinator for Dakota West Credit Union offered when asked about the purpose of the grants.

Established in 1941, each of the Dakota West Credit Union branches and its members and employees help grow the Dakota West family with exceptional commitment to building relationships and strengthening communities. Offering grants to teachers within its communities continues its focus on this growth through the next generation, and highlights one of the core values of Dakota West: Responsibility.

With branches throughout west and central North Dakota, including Washburn, Dakota West Credit Union is dedicated to helping its members grow with comprehensive, competitive financial products partnered with personal, professional service. To learn more about its services and communities, visit http://www.dakotawestcu.com/member-services/.

Dakota West Credit Union Offers Scholarships

(WATFORD CITY, ND, 19 February 2019) – Expanding its annual tradition, Dakota West Credit Union is accepting scholarship applications from both high school seniors and current college students throughout the communities it serves. The western Dakota credit union also welcomes applicants who will be attending trade schools in the fall.

Four $500 scholarships will be awarded to members of Dakota West Credit Union through an essay competition focusing on the financial institution’s values: Communication, Respectfulness, Positive Attitude, and Responsibility.

“Our values represent the level of service we strive to provide to our members and our communities. For the students currently working their way through college or finalizing their post-secondary plans, we want to live our values by contributing to their futures and their success,” Juliet Jones, Marketing Coordinator for Dakota West Credit Union offered when asked about the purpose of the scholarship expansion.

Students must be already attending a two- or four-year college, be enrolled in a trade school program into late 2020, or graduating high school this spring to be eligible. Students also must be a member at any of the eight branches of Dakota West Credit Union, and submit an essay based on one of the values of the non-profit credit union headquartered in Watford City, North Dakota.

“This year’s essay topic focuses on communication, which will be a large part of both national and global topics this year, as well as in the future,” believes Jones. “We look forward to reviewing their thoughts on the subject and helping four deserving students grow in their education and careers.”

Established in 1941, each of the Dakota West Credit Union branches and its members and employees help grow the Dakota West family with exceptional commitment to building relationships and strengthening communities. Offering scholarships to students within its communities continues its focus on this growth through the next generation.

Applications for the scholarship are available on the Dakota West Credit Union website at https://www.dakotawestcu.com/members/member-services/. The deadline for submission is Friday, April 10, 2020 with winners announced on Friday, May 15 on Dakota West Credit Union’s Facebook page.

Dakota West is also offering Teacher Financial Education Grants to promote personal financial responsibility for all students in the communities it serves. “Helping them understand the concepts behind money movement is a good place to begin understanding personal financial responsibility.” The deadline for teachers to apply for these grants is Monday, February 24. Applications are available in the Media link at www.dakotawestcu.com.

With branches throughout west and central North Dakota, Dakota West Credit Union is dedicated to helping its members grow with comprehensive, competitive financial products partnered with personal, professional service. To learn more about its services and communities, visit https://www.dakotawestcu.com/members/member-services/.

Dakota West Credit Union Offers Financial Literacy Education Grants to Local Schools

Recognizing the importance of personal financial literacy in North Dakota youth, Dakota West Credit Union invites teachers from kindergarten through high school throughout the communities it serves to apply for Financial Literacy Education Grants. The goal of the grants is to award teachers $250 to bring financial education into their classrooms and educate their students on the importance of focusing on personal financial responsibility.

“Helping young children understand that debit and credit cards are connected to money can be an idea that as adults, we should consider if children understand where that money goes” Juliet Jones, Marketing Coordinator for Dakota West Credit Union offered when asked about the purpose of the grants. “Helping them understand the concepts behind money movement is a good place to begin understanding personal financial responsibility.”

“Financial responsibility only grows with our children. As juniors and seniors begin to consider life after high school, understanding the financial process behind applying for and receiving college financial aid, knowing how credit scores impact their futures, and considering the added expenses when buying a vehicle are important reasons to make financial education an ongoing process,” Jones added.

Dakota West hopes teachers throughout western North Dakota embrace this opportunity to receive funding to help students prepare for the financial choices they will face. Interested teachers can download the grant application here. While teachers do not need to be members of Dakota West Credit Union to apply or receive a grant, they do need to work at schools within the Dakota West branch region.

The Financial Literacy Education Grants application period will continue through Monday, February 24 to allow teachers time to formulate ideas as to how these grants might be used in their classrooms to benefit their students. Dakota West staff members will partner with the winning teachers to develop their programs, and the be on hand at the schools to help facilitate the topics later this spring.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, March 12 on Dakota West Credit Union’s Facebook page. Dakota West also offers teachers links to existing resources and offers teachers ideas on how to engage their schools and communities in developing program ideas.

2019 Dakota West Credit Union Scholarships Awarded

Congratulations to the four seniors who will start their college careers with a little extra savings in their pockets! We announced our winners on our Facebook page on May 10.

Our annual scholarship competition included an essay focusing on our values – Communication, Respectfulness, Positive Attitude, and Responsibility – asked seniors to speak to their ideas of Responsibility in their own lives. Each of these members, along with a myriad of amazing high school seniors throughout the Dakota West Credit Union branches, wrote their two cents worth about Responsibility. That investment and effort resulted in a $500 scholarship for each of them!

The words of these young Dakota West Credit Union members remind us of all the wonderful qualities our communities offer to the future of western North Dakota.

Jessen Homiston of Watford City High School: “Being responsible means working hard and doing your best on the tasks given to you. It also means being respectful of others and their duties.”

Hannah Johnson of Grenora Public School: “Being responsible isn’t easy, that’s why we need to recognize this quality and expect it more from others.”

(Photo by Amanda Magnuson)

Ebony Musonda of Scranton High School: “Being involved in music is fun but also time consuming. It takes a lot of responsibility to be a college student and I plan on taking advantage of every opportunity that I can.”

(Photo By Stephanie Anderson)

Elyse Paulson of Bowman County High School: “Responsibility is going to be a key characteristic for me to possess in both the present and the future, especially considering my education and career goals.”

(Photo by Turbiville Photography)

Dakota West Credit Union congratulates our scholarship recipients, and all our graduating members on their successes now and in the future. We look forward to watching each of you Grow West.