Focus Bank brings financial literacy to schools

Focus Bank is bringing financial literacy education to students in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas by providing free access to Banzai, an award-winning online program and content library that allows users to practice real-world finance.

Focus Bank started the financial literacy project more than 10 years ago using a different program. Several years ago, they transitioned to the Banzai program. Since then, Focus Bank has served more than 20,000 students in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas, according to Anna Ferrell, director of marketing and business development at Focus Bank.

More than 45 schools in the region have enrolled in the program, Ferrel said.

Through the Banzai online courses, students try managing a budget, saving for a goal and dealing with unexpected financial pitfalls. Teachers are able to easily monitor and grade student progress remotely.

"Thanks to Focus Bank, area students will now have access to a wide array of courses and resources designed to help prepare them for our increasingly complex world," Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai, said in a release. "We wouldn't be able to provide these tools without their support."

Through the bank's help, students have access to Banzai learning tools, virtual or in-classroom presentations from a Focus Bank expert and class visits to a branch to see it all in person.

Focus Bank's goal is for students to "develop a good financial education and knowledge; to learn to form their own financial habits that are based on good principles of saving, sharing, spending and investing; and to be more successful in their financial futures," Ferrel said.

Banzai Junior, Banzai Teen and Banzai Plus are also free online programs offered by Focus Bank for children, teenagers and adults respectively. These programs are available at www.focusbank.banzai.org.