The 20-year-old Panther Credit Union, tucked inside Oswego High School, got a makeover this summer, featuring new computers, equipment, paint and decorations. Students in the school’s Banking and Finance class work at the small branch during their lunch periods. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

In a small room outside the cafeteria at Oswego High School, about 20 students are making big preparations for their financial futures.
Two dozen seniors in the banking and finance class spend their days — lunch periods — alongside employees of the Panther Credit Union learning about finance and helping others take charge of their own money matters by acting as tellers at the small in-house branch.

The PCU is a branch of the locally owned and operated Earthmover Credit Union.
When it was established in 1996, PCU was the brainchild of both Community Unit School District 308 administration and Earthmover management who wanted to integrate financial literacy into the school in some way. For 20 years it operated out of a converted boys’ bathroom which OHS and Earthmover gutted and rebuilt it into a small branch of the credit union.
This summer, however, the space got a makeover. New computers, electronics, paint, furniture and decorations helped bring the branch into future and provide students with the appropriate tools to learn.
Brand Manager and Youth Development Coordinator Debbie Gomez works in tandem with OHS teacher Tim Taviani during the year-long banking and finance elective course which combines classroom time with time spent working in the PCU.
Each school year, 20 students are accepted into Taviani’s senior-only class, students who apply typically want to pursue a career in business.
In the first semester, students learn about the U.S. economy and the work skills they will need in their future careers. The second semester focuses on their rights and responsibilities as consumers, their role in the global economy, and financial budgeting. Half of Taviani’s students work in PCU during first semester and the other half do so during second semester.
“It’s a very practical course,” Taviani said. “It’s a great program. Students get to apply the skills they learn in class to the actual work place, and it’s nice to have a work program where the kids get to work in-house. That’s very uncommon.”
Senior Eden Braun had been eyeing Taviani’s course since her sophomore year. She worked hard to get accepted into the program in hopes of learning more about the financial world.

Oswego High School Seniors involved in the school’s Banking and Finance class spend their lunch periods working inside the Panther Credit Union, a small branch of Earthmover Credit Union that is student-run and situated outside the school’s cafeteria. The program has been in place for 20 years. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

“I figured it’s really important to understand finances,” Braun said. “Finances are everywhere. If you don’t understand them, you’ll be in a lot of trouble in the future. We’re expected to go out into the world and know these things and learning now is a great base for the future.”
Branch Manger Gomez said she enjoys watching the students learn and evolve throughout the year.
“It’s true that schools don’t teach kids how to leave here and know what to do in terms of finances,” she said. “Not everybody knows these things. You’re not born knowing how to budget a checkbook or spend money wisely.”
While there are some finance classes offered, not everyone takes them. Taviani’s class, however, is quite popular. Over the past two decades, it’s estimated that more than 500 students have worked at PCU, and more than 1,000 students and hundreds of current and former faculty have opened and still have accounts at the credit union.
Gomez said her goal is to make everyone at OHS aware of the PCU and the services provided on-site. The group just hosted its grand re-opening where they pushed to sign-up students and faculty members with accounts.
Since the school year began, 22 accounts have been opened. The group has a goal of 60 accounts to open each year.
OHS principal Mike Wayne believes the program has been wonderful for students.

“This program offers a unique opportunity for students to learn about managing finances while gaining real-world practical experience in the job force,” said Wayne. “This isn’t something that a lot of high school students have the chance to do. The program has been, and will continue to be, a real game changer for our students, and I personally am very grateful for the commitment Earthmover and Mr. Taviani have made to our community.”

Branch manager Debbie Gomez helps senior Eden Braun (left) with an assignment during their time together inside the Panther Credit Union at Oswego High School. The student-run branch of the Earthmover Credit Union has been in place at OHS for 20 years and recently underwent a makeover. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

— Panther Credit Union teaches real-life finances to Oswego students —