Are you aware that teachers often spend hundreds of dollars from their own pockets to set up classrooms? We unravel the remarkable programs offered by Neighbors FCU that aim to alleviate this burden. From the unique Mascot Checking Program to Project Grants for Public Schools, Betty Mujica-Milano of Neighbors lays out how these initiatives not only help schools financially but also promote financial literacy among students.
We are also joined by Jason St Pierre, the Principal of Walker High School, who shares how having a Neighbors branch on campus has helped fund innovative educational projects. Imagine, every swipe of a card contributing to the funding of exciting initiatives like a TV program, a drone program, or a robotics team! Also, Hagar Brown Anderson, the Vice President of the McKinley High School Alumni Association, gives us an insight into how Alumni Associations can significantly contribute to schools through the use of the Mascot Checking program.
In the final part of our conversation, we delve into the details of securing a grant from Neighbors Federal Credit Union. Betty demystifies the application process and outlines the types of projects that the grants can fund. Jason and Hagar further enrich our discussion by sharing their firsthand experiences with the programs and how the programs have been instrumental in providing resources to students. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or an alumni wanting to support their alma mater, this episode has something for you. Tune in, and let's collectively make a difference to our schools and our future!
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
Are you aware that teachers often spend hundreds of dollars from their own pockets to set up classrooms? We unravel the remarkable programs offered by Neighbors FCU that aim to alleviate this burden. From the unique Mascot Checking Program to Project Grants for Public Schools, Betty Mujica-Milano of Neighbors lays out how these initiatives not only help schools financially but also promote financial literacy among students.
We are also joined by Jason St Pierre, the Principal of Walker High School, who shares how having a Neighbors branch on campus has helped fund innovative educational projects. Imagine, every swipe of a card contributing to the funding of exciting initiatives like a TV program, a drone program, or a robotics team! Also, Hagar Brown Anderson, the Vice President of the McKinley High School Alumni Association, gives us an insight into how Alumni Associations can significantly contribute to schools through the use of the Mascot Checking program.
In the final part of our conversation, we delve into the details of securing a grant from Neighbors Federal Credit Union. Betty demystifies the application process and outlines the types of projects that the grants can fund. Jason and Hagar further enrich our discussion by sharing their firsthand experiences with the programs and how the programs have been instrumental in providing resources to students. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or an alumni wanting to support their alma mater, this episode has something for you. Tune in, and let's collectively make a difference to our schools and our future!
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Now here is your host, ms Kim.
Speaker 2:Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters. I am your host, kim Chapman. Well, it's back to school time, and that means new curriculums, new activities and the need for new funds. It's never ending. You know, it's not a secret that teachers and educators often have to come out of their own pockets basically just to provide some of the basic needs that they have, and so today we're going to talk about two unique programs that neighbors federal credit union offers that can help these schools and how you can also participate. So my guest today joining me, I very own Betty Mahica Milano.
Speaker 3:It's me.
Speaker 2:Back in stride again. Right Jason St Pierre, principal of Walker High School, and Hagar Brown Anderson, the vice president of the McKinley High School. Alumni Welcome everybody.
Speaker 4:Thank you for having me. Oh, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining me, so let's go ahead and just kind of jump right into it. And, jason, I think you can probably answer this question better. On average, how much does it cost to set up a classroom?
Speaker 1:With everything you're talking about, tens of thousands of dollars with everything, with the seating and everything else but our teachers. We normally give our teachers a hundred dollars at the beginning of the year to get classroom supplies and different things like that that they need to get the school going and replenish tape, scissors, all those types of things, posted notes and we've gone digital, so it's a lot less than that, but we do need supplies.
Speaker 2:Yes, how much do you think they're spending out of pocket themselves? Because I know a hundred dollars. You can't stretch that far at all these days.
Speaker 1:I would say several hundred dollars throughout the year, because they're always buying stuff for needy kids if somebody doesn't have something, or if they're buying decorations for their classrooms or props for their classes, depending on the course. So I'd say three to five hundred dollars a year, oh wow.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of money.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And so that's why I'm really excited to have everybody here at the table today, because we're going to talk about some programs that neighbors has that can really help offset some of those costs. And so of course we have the Vice President here, the McKinley Alumni. Tell us a little bit about the Alumni Association and basically how does it even support McKinley?
Speaker 4:Well, at the Alumni Association, we are comprised of a board with elected board members, and then we also have those members who support us. It does not include all of alumni. However, we do have like a paying dues system to where you can join the association itself. We always try to financially support the school and then also also be there to provide labor hours and volunteer hours for things that they may need to help give administration and teachers a break when they need to.
Speaker 2:And so, jason, you mentioned you're going digital, so I mean, of course that's new technology. Can you talk, to talk to us about some of the needs, just in general, that the school needs from year to year?
Speaker 1:Well, in a technology age, we are using computers, ipads, we're using, we have our own app. So we at school, so we're always looking for ways to communicate with students, so we have to purchase their laptops. Then, if a class needs an iPad, or iPads a set of them, for our drone class, for example, we fly with our iPad, so it's out of a phone, so we purchase those materials for the students and you know what an iPad costs. It costs Several hundred dollars, so we use our mascot funds to do that.
Speaker 2:And I imagine we wouldn't be sitting at this table if it was just as easy as picking up the phone and calling the school board and saying, hey, this is what I need. Can you provide it to me, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's that tree doesn't exist.
Speaker 2:And are you able to give us a little information? What type of projects have you supported in the past for McKinley?
Speaker 4:Oh, there are several projects. We help to feed our athletics departments throughout the year. We assist if there's a teacher that says that she's in need of any type of supplies and things like that. We try to make it happen. We have an annual alumni picnic that issues as a fundraiser To support whatever endeavors that principal and administration needs at the time. Recently we did a back-to-school drive for the first time and it was an amazing event and we were able to provide all age children in the community Back to school supplies and a really nice giveaway. We gave away food and drinks and things like that and I saw that parents and teachers were very appreciative.
Speaker 2:So now I want to let you know, turn it over to miss bed and she's gonna talk a little bit about our mascot program because it is definitely a great initiative that can help not just Walker, not just McKinley, but a lot of schools in the local area be able to raise funds so that they can have the things that they need.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I am lucky I get to administrate the mascot school program. Walker High School and McKinley High School are both participants of this program and do see a lot of benefit from the program. So basically the way it works is we have 15 participating high schools. You can find out all of those on the website and you can also覊. Each school has the opportunity to promote a branded debit account. That debit account functions just like a regular debit account would. It's very student friendly, which we like to promote it to our families, teachers, but especially those students who don't have a banking relationship yet. There is really no downside for the families or the students and there's a ton of upside for the school. With every swipe of that card, school gets money back. So, Jason, how much money do you get per quarter?
Speaker 1:Dependent on the time of the year, $6,000 to $8,000 a quarter.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So that's an incredible number. We always say that's the pie in the sky number, but most of our schools will get anywhere between $500 to $1,500 a quarter, depending on the amount of accounts that they have and the amount of swipes or amount of purchases that a person makes with that debit account. And this money is free and clear to the school, unrestricted. They're able to use it for whatever types of projects they want in the school. So new technology funds for classroom I know we had talked about what was it? An ice machine, ice machine, ice machine on the school campus. It's a broken On the school campus. So things like that that the school can use at their discretion.
Speaker 2:So where does the real purpose of this program? Why does neighbors offer this particular program and how long has it been around?
Speaker 3:So the program started in 2010 with Walker High School. So it's been around for 13 years now, and the initiative started because we started as Batoners teachers Federal Credit Union. We supported educators when we started and we want to continue to support educators, schools and students now. So it's our way of giving back to the community and supporting these schools when they need it the most.
Speaker 2:And so, jason, you are a pilot school back in 2010. What were your thoughts when you were first approached about this particular mascot account?
Speaker 1:Well, if I'd be amiss if I wouldn't mention Greg Inman. So Greg Inman was the vice president of Neighbors and he's a Walker alumni and he came to me and we were I was already in the vein of bringing unique programs to Walker, so Neighbors was one of them, where you bring a branch on a campus, and so we did that and I thought it was great because, if you can, coca-cola has been doing it for a long time. I want to diet Coke, but they put all the crazy flavors. I call it for the kids. So you start teaching kids financial literacy. You start getting them into banking.
Speaker 1:There's two things that's going to really be detrimental to somebody who's young. It's a car payment and a charge card. So we just wanted to educate the students but also bring a service to the community, and Neighbors partnered with us and we did that and it's paid dividends ever since and we just continue to purchase equipment, fund programs and push through the community, the Neighbors brand and that way we get kids using real world funds and doing banking for real instead of just some class where they have a make-believe account. So it's real world.
Speaker 2:So what kind of projects have you been able to take care of with the funds you've received?
Speaker 1:Oh, my TV program. We're live on channel two and like tonight we'll be. We have a football scrimmage tonight, so we are live tonight. I use it to buy airtime camera equipment, different things like that that we need to do that. We have a drone program. We fly, so we buy items for that. We have a robotics team. We purchase stuff with our mascot money for that. So anytime somebody needs something, it's quick. I don't have to sell jumbo live plates or anything like that and it's a good fundraiser and we use it and I give it out to the students. One thing I have a requirement on it has to be used on students. So, and it's a good deal for us and we push the mascot card because it's a good fundraiser, but it's also like I said earlier, it is a good promotional tool for financial literacy.
Speaker 2:And, of course, you're one of the most successful schools of the 15 schools that we have. Tell us, how do you do it?
Speaker 1:Well, one of the things I do is you have to promote it. It's ROI, it's return on investment. So if neighbors or any other company is going to come on your campus, one of the things we did our whole school went cashless three years ago and now everybody gets a mascot card because they can't use cash. So the concession stands, all of our businesses that we have during the day, paying for fees and stuff like that, so that we use it there. We also for open houses and for orientations. We allow neighbors to come in sign up accounts right there on the spot.
Speaker 1:And parents feel comfortable with neighbors because the presence on the campus and it's a safe way for their kids to bank and they can control what their kids spending, because one of the things that we market is it's parent friendly and they can get them banking. And it's a good thing where kids get a job they need. You know there's no more paper checks, so they have to have an account. So all those avenues we use to our advantage to get kids to sign up for accounts and the average person swipes their card 28 times a month. So that's to know that and how many accounts we're getting. So you keep up with it, you promote it as the principal and it's successful Okay.
Speaker 2:And McKinley, of course, is right there behind Walker High School in terms of being successful. But from my understanding, I think from Beta it is really the alumni association that is really supporting it. So tell us, how are you using or promoting the mascot card within the alumni association?
Speaker 4:Well, the first time that I heard about the mascot program was a few years ago, and I'm not sure which member of our alumni found out about the program, but Anybody knows McKinley's alumni.
Speaker 4:They are loud and proud and absolutely want to support McKinley in any way it goes. So when we were introduced to that program, everybody was sharing it on social media. Whenever you talk to somebody, hey, go out and get a card. I mean, if for nothing else, to show off your card, you know and so. But afterwards we found out the benefits of it actually supporting the school. So it was less fundraising that we actually had to go out and push for, because we knew that there were funds that were going to come in to take care of certain things that the administrations and the teachers and the students needed and what about the red tape?
Speaker 2:I haven't you know nobody's talked about the red tape of getting this money.
Speaker 3:The red tape is that there is no red tape.
Speaker 3:Um, no, so the like I said, the way the mascot card works and the way it was intended to work was to give schools kind of unencumbered funds.
Speaker 3:A lot of times I'm sure you guys both have this experience of grant funding and things like that comes with a lot of stipulations, A lot of restrictions has to be used for this or this, and that can be really difficult because schools needs change from day to day and week to week. And so if you write a you know grant proposal for something and the grant money doesn't come through for six months, that need may have gone out the window and something else bigger has taken its place. And so we recognize that and we want schools to be fully in control of their programming, of their kind of fate, as it were. And so when schools sign up, they get 10 cents back per swipe if their school has over 100 accounts open, five cents back if under 100, and then we mail them a check quarterly and they deposit it and then they spend it and it's a really, really good program and, as Jason has mentioned more than once and I have to commend him for that it's really about that financial literacy.
Speaker 2:Kids need to learn about money. You know we're behind the curve as a state in terms of promoting financial literacy, showing, you know, having programs in the school, and this is an opportunity for a student to have a checking account and learn about money while they're young, while they're under the umbrella of their parents or their guardian, so if they're gonna make mistakes they have that little safety net. But you mentioned earlier, Betty, that they're 15 schools and of course that are in the program. But of course, if you drive down the street, we have schools popping up everywhere, and so I'm sure there's some listening saying, well, that's great, you know, I want in on it, but not every school can participate. But that's not the end of the story. We have other programs, because we know that all the schools, whether it's an EBR school, whether it's a charter school or just another school in our field of membership what can we offer them?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so in addition to our mascot program, which does only impact those 15 schools, we have I'll just say as a side note our neighbor's way to issue an assistance award. Right, that's our scholarship program and that's also limited to those 15 mascot schools. So, after sitting down and kind of brainstorming with our team in 2021, we introduced the Project Grants for Public Schools program and the intention of this program was to actually impact our nine parish service region. So our membership region does span nine parishes.
Speaker 2:EBR Livingston Ascension EBR.
Speaker 3:Livingston, ascension, west, baton Rouge Point, copee, west Felicia, ana, east Felicia Ana, st Helena and Iberville. I did it All right.
Speaker 2:I know you could, I know you could.
Speaker 3:And so our grant program is for K-12, public schools and charter schools that they can apply for funding once a year in the fall. The funding period is actually open right now. We're open for application until August 31st and schools, teachers, administrators, any person within a school, as long as they have approval of the principal, can submit a project, and the projects can range anywhere from 2,500 and up, although we've even had smaller projects be funded and the real keys that we're looking for are projects that'll have longevity within the school, so we'll see year over year impact. So it's tough when someone's like, oh, I just need some reams of paper. We don't necessarily that's not what we're looking for.
Speaker 3:We're looking for more like technology, new sound systems, outdoor classrooms, things that are innovative, things that are gonna impact the whole school community, or a lot of the school community, and things that they'll be able to use year over year. One of the projects we did was actually at your alma mater, tara High School, and we did video equipment for them for their kind of videography program. That's actually really really been growing and very successful. So we're looking for those types of things schools that are trying to do things a little differently, and sometimes just schools that need that little extra bit of help, so those teachers don't have to come out of pocket. And, like I said, applications are open now at neighborsfoundationorg and they'll be open through August 31st.
Speaker 2:And after the application period closes, what happens?
Speaker 3:So we have an internal committee that meets. Our internal committee is made up of employees that actually donate to our employee payroll donation program, which is one of the ways we fund the grants and scholarships that we give out. And so each year we select a group, so we sit down and we have $50,000 to give out each fall and we go through and we kind of just look at the different projects we've received and we wanna make sure we cover as many of the parishes as we can. We typically like to see an award in every parish that we receive from, and also just variety, right, we like arts, music, science, you know technical things, and we all come together and decide where that money allocation is going to go, and then schools typically see that check by the end of September, and so any school that's in our field of membership can put in an application, absolutely Alright.
Speaker 2:And so I kind of want to just circle back, though, because the mascot card program is such an important program, and so if somebody is listening to anything, okay, I'm a parent. What do I need to do? How do I get involved? How can I get this card? Is it going to cost me anything?
Speaker 3:Absolutely not. So. Like I said before, it's a debit account like any kind of other debit account. You can also set limits. If it is for your child, you can have that card, go ahead and get declined if they've spent over what they have in the account. But otherwise it operates just like a typical debit account. There is a $25 minimum deposit to open the account and if you are interested in opening it you can go to neighborsfcuorg and go to open an account and you'll see the tab for mascot cards and then you'll be able to drop down and choose the school, the participating school that you want to associate your card with, and then you're off to the races. And 18 year olds and up can apply for their own accounts.
Speaker 2:Under 18, they do need a legal guardian or parent as a join holder on the account and so to get to those numbers, to get to have an $1100 card, or to get you know to receive $6,000 and $8,000 a quarter, it's really, really important that we have as many cards as possible. And so talk to us how you know. What are you doing really to push it to your alumni? I know you mentioned social media, but what are the efforts, are you?
Speaker 4:making. Social media is our biggest tool and our most helpful tool. It's a way to reach alumni both in Baton Rouge and out of Baton Rouge to stay in contact with them. We also have a monthly board meeting where the public is welcome to come in, and so we also promote things that way and promote our mascot card that way, and just staying in touch with people and making sure they know what resources are available to help the schools and the students. You know, for people who are not here on a day-to-day basis, that can do something tangible. So it's good to be able to offer other ways, other methods of assisting when you can't be here. So that's our primary tool and we push it as much as we can.
Speaker 2:Yep, I mean, it is such an easy way for you know not just alumni for students, for parents, for anybody to get involved, even if you're not attending or affiliated with any of the schools. If you have a debit account and you want to switch it over to a mascot account, that's just a way for you to be able to use your card. Nothing comes out of your account. It goes straight to that school to support the projects, as we know, our schools are in desperate need of. You know funds for all types of things, not just technology. Some of them need just basic. You know basic everyday supplies, any particular projects that either you, jason, or you, Hagar, are looking for to use these funds for for the 23-24 school year.
Speaker 4:I know that McKinley had had some issues where both ice machines on campus were broken and beyond repair so they're having to be replaced, and so I know that they were looking at methods to fund that project Post COVID. There's always a need for hydration systems. And then also, I saw some teachers online because we keep in touch with our teachers. I saw some looking for cool pack towels, and we introduced a new drone program this year as well, and a mass communications program started this year with our incoming freshmen and sophomores as a program that we want to offer, and so that program is well on its way and I know that they've purchased the drones for that program already, and I'm sure that there are going to be other things that come along with providing those new programs.
Speaker 4:Every time we implement something. Last year, in our mechanics program Walker and McKinley High School share that program sponsored by Jerry Lane we bought all of the graduating students or juniors and seniors, a mechanic shirt, you know, with their name tags on it, to make them feel like they were going to a job and to get used to that work atmosphere and things like that. So when we're teaching kids methods and ways to function in the real world. We want to make sure that we give them things that they need to be able to survive and be a good citizen when they leave McKinley High School.
Speaker 1:So one of the couple things we're doing is we're building a new green screen room to do videos in our TV station and also we're putting up some lights in the basketball gym, so when the teams run out and we're putting Go-Bos in them with logos and different things in them. So we're those things which should be up probably by the middle of September, and we'll have both of those so we can film our athletes, make special videos and in the gym during pep rallies and basketball games, all the lights and stuff that kids love to see and it mimics the NBA. So we want to do that. That's the things that we're working on this year for this fall.
Speaker 2:And so, Betty, you know I'm sure there are going to be some schools, some educators or administrators listening saying, hey, I want in on this program. But it's a program that really takes a lot of effort, takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of involvement in terms of having a certain number. Can you talk to us a little bit about what's required just for any school to receive a check?
Speaker 3:Yes. So a lot of schools hear about this program and they get really excited and they want to figure out how they can get involved. But there is a thought process behind adding new schools. It's not something that we do willy-nilly, and a lot of times what it really requires first, more than anything, is an internal champion, a group, a person that is willing to take the mantle of promoting the program and educating people on the program. As you know, kim, you and I are only two people I mean, it's hard to be everywhere all at once, although we try and so we really need somebody on the inside of that school who understands the value of the program, and Jason and Haeger are both great examples of that. Jason has really taken the torch on the program and has worked wonders, and Haeger and the rest of the Alumni Association. And McKinley is really the inside kind of connection for us to McKinley High School, because they also see the value in what we're offering.
Speaker 3:And so a lot of times I say the first thing I need is like somebody who's on fire, like somebody who's ready to take it and run, and then the education portion them understanding the meaning of the debit account right, that just opening the account isn't going to do anything. It actually has to be a primary account for you, or at least an account that you're using, because you can open the account but if you don't use it, then money doesn't come back. So opening the card is the first step, but then actually using it. And I say to some people if they already have a primary debit account, open it and just buy your gas on it every week or buy a pack of gum every week. It doesn't matter the amount that you spend. The money still goes back to the school in the same amount You're supporting the school.
Speaker 3:So it's also fun because it does have the mascot on it. It's kind of cute, better than just like your regular plain debit card. And the other great thing is being a member at neighbors not just of the mascot program, but just a member here at this credit union is giving back to the community. What we focus on oftentimes is just that community aspect that we give you a different experience than you would have at a typical national bank. And so even stuff like this, the Money Matters podcast, it's a resource, it's to inform, it's to educate and it's all with local people with local interests. So there's definitely a starting point person on fire to the full understanding of what this program can do for you as a school and in the meantime, apply for a grant.
Speaker 2:And before we wrap up, I think it's really really important, since we have our two champions here of the mascot program to speak, to take an opportunity just to talk to the other 13 schools that are in the program and talk to how important it is, how successful this program has been for you. Just words of encouragement in terms of if you're part of the mascot program already, why should you be pushing this card to your parents, to your students, to your alumni association?
Speaker 4:It is so important that we are involved in the training of our children in today's world, and so we want to make sure that we can provide for them to the highest level that we can. And I would urge McKinley's school and all the other 13 schools that are not represented here today. I would urge you, guys and in, get your parents on board, get your students on board, get your administrators and your staff on board, get your community on board. There are so many ways that you can do so many great things for your school through this program alone. And it is easy. You're going to the grocery stores every day. As parents.
Speaker 4:We go to Chick-fil-A and Raisin' Canes and McDonnells and here and there and everywhere, stopping at gas stations, shopping back to school alone. Shopping could have blown it away, you know, could have set your first quarter off. So I encourage everybody to get involved through this mascot program because, in my opinion, it is the easiest program and the quickest way to raise funds for your schools to get things done that you may not have the financial means to get done. Again, I encourage all McKinley High School students, parents, alumni and community members that are listening to us that will listen to this podcast in the future. Get involved, get into neighbors, get your mascot card and help support McKinley Senior High School.
Speaker 2:Well said, Jason.
Speaker 1:Well, today it cooled off to 97 degrees and so the last few days or a couple of weeks has been over 100 degrees. So if you're selling Gemma-Lie plates, doing Coke sales and to that type of thing, I would not want to be outside doing it. So people are already spending money and so why not sit in the air conditioner and do nothing and get a check every quarter? Because people are always using cars, they're shopping, they're shopping online. That's even taken over more than the brick and mortar building. So get your debit card, get your mascot card. Come to neighbors at Walker High, the Wildcat branch. Teresa's there Monday through Friday, nine to five. She takes a lunch from one to two and you can go online as well and you can sign up and have an appointment with her. We have students that work in the branch. We'd love to take care of you and come, get your Wildcat card and you can use it all over the world as well as internationally.
Speaker 2:That's quite a sales pitch. And on that note, betty, if you will just remind everybody again, again, if you're not part of that mascot program, we still have a program that's for you, where you can find a way to be able to get the funds, and that's gonna be, that's gonna be the Project Grants for Public Schools program, and the application period's open now at neighborsfoundationorg.
Speaker 2:Well, I wanna thank you all Betty, jason and Hagar for coming and sharing this information. A teacher should not have to go in their pocket again to be able to find the resources. We've just given you the information. Now it's up to you. Thank you.
Speaker 4:Thank you. Thank you the.
Speaker 2:Project Grants for Public Schools. Schools are always in need of resources to improve the quality of learning for students. Whether it's technology for a STEM program, new equipment for a playground or a coat of paint to give a classroom a fresh new look, these are all vital resources that can help students and educators make the most of each day of learning. Neighbors Federal Credit Union offers opportunities for educators, parents and students to support schools in the nine parish regions we serve To gain access to the tools that they need. Check out neighborsfoundationorg to learn more on the mascot checking account, project Grants for Public Schools and other platforms that support education, and you can always check out neighborsfcuorg for a slash financial education to learn more on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want.
Speaker 1:Music.