Committee considers credit union proposal

Date: 4/26/2011

April 27, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE — Chicopee's high school students will have the educational opportunity to learn about the banking industry first-hand, thanks to the proposal offered by the Polish National Credit Union (PNCU).

PNCU Senior Vice President Christine Janek explained to the School Committee on April 20, the credit union would like to open a branch office in the lobby of Chicopee Comprehensive High School (CCHS). The branch office would not be open to the public, but would help teach financial literacy to the general student population.

It would also use students as the tellers who would be supervised by a PNCU employee, Janek explained. She added the branch would be "a true-to-life work environment."

The branch would be open from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday starting in October. It would be open until May 31. To encourage students to start saving, the credit union is willing to add $5 to each new account.

"It's important for them [the students] to learn financial literacy at a young age," Janek said.

Career and Technical Education Director Kenneth Widelo explained the new program would support the curriculum of the Business Information Department.

The students who would be working at the branch would first serve an internship at PNCU, Janek explained.

"It's almost impossible to have an internship in a banking institution," Widelo said.

There would be six students in the accounting program who would qualify for the internship, Widelo said and other CCHS students might be involved in the construction of the branch, he added.

This pilot project would also be open to Chicopee High School students, Widelo said and PNCU President and CEO James Kelly said he would consider opening a branch at that high school in the future.

The School Committee voted to refer the proposal to sub-committee for further discussion.