Central Square Empower-ing Students Through Financial Literacy

by Submitted article | January 20, 2017 10:38 am

CENTRAL SQUARE – While many school districts throughout New York State have recently started emphasizing financial literacy in the their schools, Central Square School District remains ahead of the curve as it celebrates its sixth year of educational collaboration with Empower Federal Credit Union to provide financial literacy to their students.

Lauri Hoover gives Brewerton Elementary student Joshua Stala a new savings packet. Empower opened up an in-school banking program at in the school this year, as part of Central Square School District’s initiative to increase financial literacy in students.
Lauri Hoover gives Brewerton Elementary student Joshua Stala a new savings packet. Empower opened up an in-school banking program at in the school this year, as part of Central Square School District’s initiative to increase financial literacy in students.

In fact, last year, the CSSD took this collaboration a step further by opening a mobile Empower Federal Credit Union branch in the middle school.

Lauri Hoover, business development officer from Empower, is on site twice a month to assist students with banking transactions.

In addition, other Empower representatives spend time with students in the classroom, putting a real-life perspective on money management, as part of the Money and Consumerism unit of the middle school’s Family and Consumer Sciences program.

Given the continued success of the pilot program started in the middle school, the credit union is branching out to different schools within the district.

Brewerton Elementary has also opened its own in-school banking program, and the response has been extremely positive.

Central Square Middle School eighth grade student Emilia Costello and her sister, sixth grader Alyssa Costello, turn in their deposit slips to Lauri Hoover as she helps them add funds to their growing savings accounts.
Central Square Middle School eighth grade student Emilia Costello and her sister, sixth grader Alyssa Costello, turn in their deposit slips to Lauri Hoover as she helps them add funds to their growing savings accounts.

Empower’s Financial Literacy Director, Cheryl Welles, is very proud of the growing success of the program, noting that it, “really helps teach students smart money saving habits at an early age.”

This is a great opportunity for students to learn the fundamentals of financial literacy and start saving for their future, and Central Square School District is looking forward to continuing to build this partnership.

Share this:

Like this:

Discover more from Oswego County Today

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/community/central-square-empower-ing-students-through-financial-literacy-2/

Copyright ©2026 Oswego County Today unless otherwise noted.