State Nebraska Bank & Trust reopened its Blue Devil Branch at Wayne Elementary School on Sept. 12 with 93 students making deposits.
The school branch also had 14 first-time depositors, who each received $5 in their accounts from State Nebraska Bank & Trust as an incentive to start saving. Overall, students saved more than $400 and earned incentives like bookmarks, mini footballs, school supplies, and coupons to local businesses based on the frequency of their deposits.
Now in its sixth year of operation, more than 400 students have saved over $37,000 through this in-school savings program. The school bank is open every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. in the cafeteria, with 24 fifth and sixth grade students working as tellers under staff supervision.
This unique savings program is part of a state-wide effort led by the Nebraska Council on Economic Education to teach financial literacy to youth so they can become lifelong savers. There are more than 50 in-school savings programs operating in Nebraska and Iowa. The SNB Blue Devil Branch was the first in-school bank in northeast Nebraska, and has support from Wayne State College students who teach financial literacy lessons to elementary students.
Permission slips are available in the office for students who wish to open an account at school. For questions, contact the Blue Devil Branch coordinator, Jillian Pierson, at (402) 375-1130, or visit https://statenebank.com/about/blue-devil-branch/.
