The $154 million Streator Onized CU is celebrating its mostrecent contribution to credit union run high school branches.

Th Streator, Illinois headquartered CU started Bulldog CreditUnion in Streator Township High School in August of this year.Bulldog is open an hour before classes begin and during all lunchhours and employs three seniors in a school work program. It alsooffers the traditional classroom curricula on financialliteracy.

“So far the teachers have responded very well,” said RyanNeumann, branch manager. Topics have included: Checking 101, Savingfor College, How to buy a Vehicle, What Credit is, and justbudgeting basics. To supplement the classroom presentations,Neumann also will be using Mad City Money and ibudget, twointeractive programs.

Melanie Murphy, manager of member services for the IllinoisCredit Union League and administrator of the Youth Council, saidBulldog is the eighth CU-run high school branch to get started inthe state. She said other states may be further along with theprogram making a distinction, however, with actual physicalpresence in the schools versus staff member presence.

“One of the biggest problems with high school branches isgetting the administration and the teachers to really supportthem,” said Murphy. “If that doesn't happen, these kinds offacilities struggle along.”

So far the record in Illinois has been a good one and theBulldog CU in Streator named after the school mascot “is doingoutstanding,” she said.

Aside from being active in the classroom and serving thestudents for their financial needs, “BCU has been participating inmany activities to get students involved,” said Neumann. Forinstance, BCU has participated in home basketball and footballgames, handing out information, raffling a Streator High Schooljacket, and giving away “little bulldog Stress balls” at homecomingand senior night.

In the photo included are Ryan Neumann, SOCU Branch Manager(second from left) with other student workers at BCU's mainlocation in the concession area of Streator Township HighSchool.