Community Credit Union Florida hosted 400 students at Rockledge High School on March 21st for “321 Day,” debuting its 321 Financial Liftoff! educational series. The local event featured influencers including aspiring astronaut Alyssa Carson, fashion influencer and entrepreneur Emily Zeck, and NFL player J.T. Hassell, who along with CCU Florida, taught financial best practices and shared personal stories.
Legislation in Florida recently passed that would require high school students to take a financial literacy test in order to graduate.
“Becoming financially literate at a young age is critical and we want to ensure that the next generation of the Space Coast is able to achieve those major milestones such as getting their first debit card, buying a car or their first home,” said Laurie Cappelli, president of CCU Florida. “Recent studies have shown that there is a gap in financial education and we are committed to changing that by providing students with tips, resources and easy to understand ways to kickstart their financial journey.”
According to a recent Forbes study, 79% of teenagers don’t have savings accounts and 87% say they don’t know how to manage their money. CCU Florida’s “321 Financial Liftoff” is designed to be an accessible, convenient support system from high school onward and seeks to instill the importance of financial literacy at an early age.
“We are very grateful to CCU Florida for launching this incredibly important series in partnership with Rockledge High School,” said Noelle Nickerson, testing and business partner coordinator. “We feel strongly about educating students on financial literacy and admire CCU Florida for taking on this initiative. It is just another example of their enduring commitment to this community and its younger generation.”
The event is the first of four in the series blending music, videos, and lessons for financial literacy with the second event at Titusville High School on April 1st in conjunction with Junior Achievement, the third at Florida Institute of Technology on August 28th and the fourth at Eastern Florida State College in October. Participants receive a unique Space Coast-inspired CCU Florida kit.
