On Wednesday, October 2, Royal Credit Union (Royal) held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their newly constructed office inside of North High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Royal has operated a student-run credit union at the school since 2005. The recent remodeling of the school provided an opportunity for Royal to create a brand-new space to engage with students. This new office was made possible by funding from the 2022 Eau Claire Area School District capital referendum and an investment from Royal. During the ceremony, Royal also made a $1,000 donation to the Eau Clare Public Schools Foundation.  School $ense is Royal’s signature financial education program that operates student-run credit union locations in grade schools, middle schools, and high schools throughout Wisconsin.  The School $ense program has been in operation since 1993.

“We are thrilled to be part of the recent remodel project at North High School, where we have proudly maintained a branch for nearly 20 years," said Brandon Riechers, Royal Credit Union President & CEO. "Our new, fresh location offers increased visibility for students, reflects the design of our community branches, and appeals to high school students. Additionally, the space and adjacent classroom will serve as a financial education hub. We appreciate our long-standing partnership with the Eau Claire Area School District and look forward to many more years of collaboration.”

Royal hires four interns at North High School each year through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Youth Apprenticeship Program.  The branch at North High School is open to students twice per week during the lunch hour and is designed to increase financial wellness and capability for our area youth.  Student interns are onboarded as full Royal team members and gain valuable experience in the workplace. Student interns work both in school at the high school location and after school and on weekends at one of Royal’s community branches.

"College readiness, career readiness, and community readiness, it hits the mark in all three areas for the kids that work at the branch," shared Kim Koller, North High School Principal. "For the kids that use the branch it helps them with financial literacy, setting some financial goals, and being able to do that in an educational setting."

In total, Royal operates offices in 5 high schools, 6 middle schools and 19 elementary schools throughout northwest Wisconsin.  Just over 370 students work for the program each year. Program wide, participants in School $ense conduct over 18-thousand transactions and deposit over $550 thousand each year. To learn more about Royal’s School $ense program visit, www.rcu.org/SchoolSense.