When the BizKid$ folks start giving out the best practicesaward, the hands-down winner is the $23 billion State Employees'Credit Union of Raleigh, N.C.

That's because State Employees' has devoted perhaps the mostresources – personnel, energy and finances – to the six-year-oldpublic TV financial literacy venture, according to the top brass atthe National Credit Union Foundation, the program's sponsor.

“We just love the BizKid$ and we see the program as this fantastic way to reachmiddle school youngsters, an important demographic for our future,”explained Leigh Brady, senior vice president education services atSECU, where the CU message gets delivered through the 239 branchesthat blanket the Tarheel State.

It is estimated the State Employees' program has now reached 6,000 North Carolinastudents since the effort began in 2009.

Brady stressed that State Employees' culture has always focusedon member education rather than just marketing, so there is widesupport for BizKid$. That has included training 438 staffers toshare BizKid$ material in classrooms and at other sites.

“Through their foundation and in other areas, they simply havedone something extraordinary in outreach,” said Danielle Brown, the NCUF's BizKid$ program coordinator.

Through the SECU Foundation, the Raleigh-based CU provided$125,000 in funding for the production of the third season of theTV series and later collaborated with the Carolinas Credit UnionFoundation to introduce the program in North Carolina schools.

“With a presence on the University of North Carolina PublicTelevision Network, BizKid$ became a welcome addition to otheryouth programs including the Fat Cat program for elementary agestudents,” said Brady.

Fat Cat uses videos and money games and launched in 2000. “Wenow see Fat Cat mascots all over North Carolina leading parades,”said Brady, adding that Fat Cat also has become a well-known symbolfor education across the state “and we like that.”

In addition to in-school programs, State Employees' has alsoexpanded the BizKid$ messaging to community youth groups, as wellas churches, scouts and after-school programs.

Since 2009, SECU has conducted more than 245 BizKid$presentations, and with the support of teachers, parents and civicleaders SECU reps have teamed up with state agencies such as theDepartment of Social Services and county extension services toexpose young people to literacy education.

“Because of the success and popularity of the Biz Kid$ program,in 2011 SECU Foundation granted an additional $500,000 forproduction of the fourth and fifth seasons,” said Mark Twisdale,executive director of the SECU Foundation. “SECU's long-termobjective is to help youth acquire good financial practices beforehigh school and college and BizKid$ is helping SECU staffaccomplish just that.”