A+ Federal Credit Union (A+FCU) has been working with the Scouting America Capitol Area Council since 2010 to help Scouts earn the Personal Management Merit Badge, a key step toward the Eagle Scout rank.
The partnership introduced a new way to deliver financial education, using interactive webinars and an online classroom managed by the A+ Community Education team. Through this program, Scouts receive instruction from industry professionals on topics such as credit and debt, saving and investing, insurance and risk management, goal setting, and career exploration.
The curriculum covers all ten requirements for the merit badge over six live webinars. These sessions include videos, storytelling, polls, Q&A opportunities, and hands-on activities. One part of the program is a 13-week budgeting exercise where Scouts create weekly budgets, track their income and expenses, and review budget differences.
“It helped him think of and learn about a lot of topics (e.g. savings to insurance to planning) which I think he heard about but never really had structured instruction,” said Colin L., parent of a recent merit badge recipient. Parents are encouraged to join their children during these sessions to help continue discussions at home.
A+FCU states that early financial education helps young people build skills for long-term success. According to the organization, more than 1,280 Scouts have earned the Personal Management Merit Badge through this partnership.
The program is available year-round with sessions in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Information about upcoming sessions and membership with A+FCU can be found on their Scouting America webpage. Questions can be directed to communityeducation@aplusfcu.org or by calling 512.533.4390.
A+ Federal Credit Union was established in 1949 by Austin teachers. Today it serves over 190,600 members across 22 branches in the community from its headquarters at 6420 E. US 290 SVRD in Austin.
