WESTERLY, R.I. – Oct. 7, 2021 — The Westerly Community Credit Union (WCCU) has established a partnership with the University of Rhode Island to offer financial education tools for the University’s students and the URI community. Launched last month, the Rhody Financial Education Center provides students access to resources that can help guide them through personal financial decisions and learn important money management skills for now and for their future.
“Relationships with money are personal and unfortunately, finances can feel like a roadblock to student success. The Rhody Financial Education Center can provide students with strategies to strengthen their understanding of how finances work and tools to feel more prepared during and after college,” said Kim Stack, director of the Center for Career and Experiential Education at URI.
The Rhody Financial Education Center offers online financial education using the Achieve Program created by EVERFI, Inc. and is available on all internet-enabled devices so that students can access the information anytime, anywhere. It offers a robust library of topics that include budgeting, building credit, savings, investing, paying for college and more. These interactive modules are designed to provide students with the tools and personalized knowledge necessary to make informed financial decisions. Students can choose an individual module or create their own playlist’ of 3- to 6-minute lessons relevant to their personal financial goals.
“Helping our members achieve financial success is the mantra of WCCU and we work very hard to be a resource of information for our members and provide solutions to their financial needs.” stated Stephen J. White, WCCU president and chief executive officer, as well as a URI alumnus. “We couldn’t be prouder to be the sole sponsor of the Rhody Financial Education Center. WCCU has been sponsoring financial education in local elementary and high schools for years. We recently added a WCCU Financial Education Center to our own website for all to utilize. Being able to expand our financial education initiative and offer it to students at URI is fantastic and will truly help students become more knowledgeable and confident about personal finances.”
About Westerly Community Credit Union:
Established in 1948, Westerly Community Credit Union is a local, full–service financial institution, focused not on profits, but on helping its members achieve financial success. It currently serves over 20,000 members with lending and deposit products through their convenient locations in Wakefield, Richmond, Westerly, and coming November 2021- Coventry, as well as online via www.westerlyccu.com. Recent WCCU awards: Westerly Sun’s Readers’ Choice Best Credit Union (2021), Best Mortgage Company (2021), Best Financial Advisor (2021), Best Bank Award (2017-18-19 and top 3 in 2020); Southern RI Chamber Choice Award 2021, Best Employer (2018) and “Spreadin’ the Love” (2019) community service awards; as well as PBN Best Places to Work (2018, 2019 and 2021).
About University of Rhode Island (URI):
The University of Rhode Island is a competitive and highly regarded public institution in New England and beyond. Founded in 1892, the University is the principal public flagship research and graduate institution in Rhode Island, enrolling more than 17,000 students. At URI, you will find some of today’s leading innovators, discoverers, and creative problem solvers.
The University is known regionally and worldwide for its big ideas and pioneering research in such areas as air, water, and ground pollution; biotechnology and life sciences; engineering, marine sciences, forensic sciences, neuroscience, pharmaceuticals, the behavioral sciences and public health promotion. At the heart of the University is a strong core of traditional academic disciplines that provide the foundation for all specialized, professional, and applied areas of study. At a time when language enrollments are declining nationwide, URI is experiencing record-breaking numbers of students studying languages.