U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky visits a Checking and Savings Accounts class at Algonquin Middle School in Des Plaines, Ill. The classes are taught by employees of Alliant Credit Union.

Schakowsky meets with Senior Vice President Lee Schafer and President/CEO David Mooney at their visit to Algonquin Middle School.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) recently got a first-hand look at financial literacy classes that are taught to middle school students by specially trained employee volunteers from the $8 billion Alliant Credit Union in Chicago.

Schakowsky visited Algonquin Middle School in Des Plaines, Ill., last week to observe a class on checking and savings accounts. The class is part of a four-course curriculum called Banking on Our Future, which teaches the basics of banking and the importance of credit and investment.

As a former elementary school teacher, Schakowsky has a strong commitment to education. She also praised the financial literacy program.

“The future of our economy and the success of our country depend on a renewed commitment to public education,” she said. “Students with access to financial literacy classes through programs such as Banking on Our Future are provided an excellent opportunity that helps prepare them for financial success in life.”

Plans for the congresswoman to visit a Banking on Our Future class began earlier this year. She had expressed interest in the program when discussing it with Lee Schafer, the 276,700-member Alliant's senior vice president of corporate affairs.

The classes occur during each quarter of the school year for eighth-graders at Algonquin and Chippewa Middle Schools in Des Plaines.

The program was developed by Operation HOPE, a national organization that helps people succeed through financial literacy and economic empowerment.