Pub. 4 2014 Issue 1

7 WINTER 2014 W h at launched three years ago as a public private partnership through Alliance Bank of Arizona, one of the fastest growing banks in the country, has to date graduated 600 students from the first financial literacy program of its kind in the state. Partnering with Everfi, a leading education technology company, Alliance Bank is able to offer unlimited access to a web-based interactive and highly engaging pro- gram to all Flagstaff Unified High School students at no cost to schools or taxpayers. “Throwing high school graduates into the real world with little to no financial education hurts us all,” said Jim Lundy, Alliance Bank CEO. “We’re proud to underwrite such an innovative program that aims to safeguard our children’s financial future through education.” The program is built upon a web-based learning platform specifically designed to introduce financial literacy skills using tools millennials love – digital learning and gaming – to bring complex financial concepts to life for today’s digital natives. The platform features the latest in new media technologies, including video, animations, 3-D gaming, avatars, and social networking. Alliance Bank of Arizona, a division of Phoenix-based Western Alliance Bank, operates offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Sedona. Its parent company, Western Alliance Bancorporation, headquartered in Phoenix, is one of the larg- est regional bank holding companies in the Southwest. “As a Flagstaff native and a parent, I’m especially gratified to see this partnership at work,” said Sherri Slayton, Senior Vice President and Northern Region Manager, Alliance Bank of Arizona. “As a banker, I’m confident that the students who graduate from this program have a better understanding of their financial options as they look to take on student loans and open their first bank credit cards, ultimately building a better Flagstaff community for generations to come.” The program’s embedded adaptive simulations allow stu- dents to weigh the consequences of their actions, practicing their decision-making skills in real time. Data rich assess- ment tools measure gains in a student’s mastery of the subject matter, as well as students’ attitudes and behaviors on key subjects, generating reports for educators to track both indi- vidual performance, as well as key trends. The 10-unit course offers approximately six hours of pro- gramming aimed at teaching, assessing and certifying students in a variety of relevant financial topics including credit scores, insurance, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, taxes, stocks, savings, 401k’s and other critical concepts that map to national financial literacy standards. The platform uniquely tracks the progress and score of every student and provides students who successfully complete the course with Certifica- tion in Financial Literacy, a valuable mark of distinction on college applications and resumes. Everfi, named one of the Top 250 Global Technology Com- panies, works with 46 of the 100 largest school districts and more than 500 colleges and universities across the country. In addition to the Alliance Bank partnership in Flagstaff, 1st Bank Yuma sponsors the program throughout the Yuma Union High School district. Both sponsorships are recognized and greatly appreciated within the communities they serve. w EverFi Partners with Arizona Banks to Provide Financial Literacy to Students Students receiving awards from EverFi and Alliance Bank upon completion of the financial literacy program.