• A
Media contacts:
Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505
Katie Rice, Public
Information Office: (864) 577-7506
SunTrust Opens First Youth Bank
at a
For one thing, there are
students operating the bank. For
another, deposit slips are brailled, and many of the
staff and customers communicate in sign language. And, you probably won’t find many banks where
you can open a savings account for just a buck.
That’s
because SunTrust Bank just opened their first Youth Bank in a
“It is rewarding to apply what you do every
day in the workplace in a way that is helpful to others,” said SunTrust
Spartanburg City President, John Verreault.
“We look forward to growing our partnership with the school and
continuing to help the students with real life applications.”
To
help the students see their savings grow, they can start a savings program with
a minimum deposit of $1 and then make weekly deposits. SunTrust staff will train
students in the completion of
applications and other forms. As reinforcement,
SCSDB math instructors will teach money management in the classroom.
Four SCSDB students will learn
on-the-job training skills working in the bank.
They will be assisted by a Career
and Technology Education staff member and a representative from SunTrust.
At the end of the year,
students will receive checks for the amount of their savings plus an incentive
to congratulate them on developing good savings habits.
“We
are very appreciative of this innovative project SunTrust is helping us provide
for our students,” said Sara Kollock, director of the school’s department of
Career and Technology Education. “The
students are having fun, and, at the same time, increasing their math skills
and learning the value of saving, investing and money management.”
In
addition to SCSDB’s Youth Bank, SunTrust has opened 11 Youth Banks in
The SC School for the Deaf
and the Blind is a specialized instructional and resource center. It provides
services statewide for individuals who are deaf, blind or sensory
multidisabled, their families and the professionals who work with them. SCSDB
offers programs for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, sensory
multidisabled, vocational and postsecondary educational students, as well as a
variety of outreach and support services. The main campus is located in
SunTrust
Banks, Inc., headquartered in
The
Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth
Southeast and
###