PASADENA, Calif. — This season LA Financial Credit Union and the NBA's L.A. Clippers have joined forces to teach area young people about finances.

The credit union is a major sponsor of the Clippers' new “Kids Read To Achieve for Financial Literacy Program.”

The L.A. Clippers has run a successful Read to Achieve program for five years; with more than 40,000 children from 19 Los Angeles school districts enrolled last year. The program challenges children in elementary, middle and high school to read by offering various incentives. This year, the organization wanted to add a financial literacy component. In their search for a program sponsor, the organization discovered LA Financial Credit Union's community involvement focus on children and financial literacy.

“LA Financial is proud to partner with the L.A. Clippers,” said Vice President of Marketing Renee Mackanin. “We would never be able to deliver financial education to so many children on our own. This partnership will help us to achieve our goals and educate thousands of children in L.A. County.”

Through the program, elementary and middle school students will learn about earning, saving, and spending through reading. They will be encouraged to read to earn “Read to Achieve Dollars.”

At the end of the program, 10 students (five from elementary and five from middle school) with the most “Read to Achieve Dollars” will become members of the Clippers Financial Bank Shot Board and receive a $200 scholarship courtesy of the credit union.

High school students will participate in an essay contest to express their knowledge of how earning, saving, spending, and borrowing can affect their financial future. Students of the five winning essays will round out the Clippers Financial Bank Shot and receive a $200 scholarship.

Clippers Financial Bank Shot Board members will also serve as a focus group to help LA Financial in developing products and services for its members under 18 year old.

Some of the program perks include everything from classroom visits by L.A. Clipper players to game tickets to Clipper merchandise, it also offers many incentives to encourage students to learn about financial matters.

The Clippers traditionally sponsor three reading and learning centers throughout the county, providing the community with hundreds of books, resource guides, and reference materials. As part of the partnership, LA Financial will offer financial education workshops to adults and children at these centers.