GTE Financial, one of Tampa’s largest locally owned and operated financial institutions, is happy to announce they won in the financial literacy and education category for its GTE Level Up program at the Gramercy Institute’s 2023 Financial Content Marketing Awards. GTE’s Level Up program provides free financial literacy workshops for teens and young adults, teaching them how to properly monitor spending, use a debit card, set up a checking account, and more.

“We are thrilled to accept this award for our Level Up program!” said Jennifer Maxfield, SVP and Chief Marketing & Impact Officer at GTE Financial. “At GTE, we aim to encourage our community’s youth to improve their financial literacy and emphasize the importance of effective financial education. Our Level Up program is designed to do just that, and we cannot be happier to be recognized for our efforts.”

Level Up walks parents and children through the ins and outs of opening checking accounts and aims to engage youth members and non-members alike on the importance of financial literacy and how to safely use technology to manage their finances through GTE’s mobile app and online banking, including checking balances, setting up alerts, debit card retrieval, ATM access, and other essential features. All initial deposits are matched dollar for dollar up to $50 by GTE.

In the past few years, GTE has hosted over 235 financial literacy events, garnering over 3,925 attendees. These workshops consisted of education on savings, homeownership, retirement, financial planning, and overall credit. GTE also partners with companies to provide financial services as a free business benefit.

The credit union also offers their Level Up: After The Gown program, which caters specifically to students 17 and up (17-21) to prepare them for financing higher education and investing in their futures.

In addition to Level Up, GTE Financial provides other free programs, including Virtual Financial Workshop Seminars and GTE Elevate. Members and non-members can attend GTE Financial education programs throughout the year to learn the skills and tools needed to manage their finances effectively.

Similarly, GTE Elevate is a robust, interactive learning program that provides tools to lead a healthier and financially sound future. The credit union also offers a program called Money Mentors, which provides free one-on-one financial counseling for members and non-members. GTE also supports Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay (JA), a volunteer-driven non-profit that prepares young people to succeed in a global economy by providing relevant and hands-on learning experiences. Every year, the credit union raises money for the organization and participates in JA Finance Park and JA BizTown, an interactive experience that teaches economic concepts, workplace skills, and personal and business finances in a child-size town built just for them.

The Gramercy Institute Financial Content Marketing Awards recognizes excellence in highly effective and efficient financial marketing. Judging was carried out by a panel of financial services marketing leaders from the world’s top financial, media and marketing brands. To view all of this year’s winners, please

visitgramercyinstitute.com/winners-2023-content-mktg-awards.