For many years, credit unions have been recognized as leaders in youth financial education. With in-school branches, experiential learning programs like Financial Reality Fairs and youth savings accounts, credit unions have led the way to help our nation's youth understand money. It's one of the cooperative principles, our values and part of the credit union difference. 

Through testimony in Washington to local advocacy work in cities and states, credit unions have pushed their elected officials and regulators to make youth financial education a priority. 

For example, the National Credit Union Foundation was invited by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission to testify at a public meeting last year at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington. The meeting was also broadcast live over the web. The focus of the meeting was on youth savings programs, in particular the connection with school-based programs.