OSBC Sponsored Financial Education
The Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner assists the following agencies in their efforts to educate and provide financial literacy programs to Kansas consumers of all ages.
Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), HCCI celebrates 50 years of nonprofit service in its mission to counsel and educate all people to achieve their personal housing and financial goals. HCCI’s HUD approved free housing and financial counseling (since 1978) helps families budget, reduce debt and build credit. HCCI’s free Tenant and Landlord Counseling helps renters and landlords know their rights and responsibilities under federal and Kansas law. HCCI’s free home buying counseling helps people be pre-approved for mortgage loans.
HCCI employs HUD Exam-Certified Counselors. HCCI is accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Families; licensed and regulated by the Office of the Kansas State Bank Commissioner; a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. HCCI counsels by phone and Zoom in a 26-county region including Emporia, Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka (home office) and the Johnson-Wyandotte metropolitan area
Kansas Council for Economic Education works with individual teachers to help integrate more economic and personal finance concepts into their existing curriculum. Through economic and financial literacy education, Kansas students will become more knowledgeable consumers, wise savers and investors, more responsible citizens and better employees. The following programs are available FREE to Kansas schools through support from the OSBC.
The Personal Finance Challenge is an engaging competition for students learning about personal finance in the classroom. Working as individuals and on teams, students will be tested on their knowledge of facts and terms relating to finances. Spending & Credit, Saving & Investing, and Income & Money Management are the topics for each round. High scoring teams from the preliminary rounds will be invited to compete at the in-person state competition in the spring.
The Personal Finance Challenge is available to middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students.
The Pando Initiative connects with students to help them engage and thrive in education and their future. By helping students take responsibility for their lives, they develop attitudes, skills and motivation necessary to THRIVE.
Reality U brings a bit of “reality” to students through a 75-minute interactive and engaging personal finance simulation. Students imagine their life as a 26-year-old and complete an online lifestyle survey. This information is entered into The Pando Initiative’s trademarked software, along with their current GPA, to create a unique and individualized future scenario. Each scenario includes the student’s monthly income, credit card debt, student loan information, as well as marital and family status. Students are given a checkbook register to track their monthly purchases from the 12 booths representing services and/or products that adults typically must purchase or consider each month. Sometimes they must return a “purchase” and make a different decision. The checkbook register can’t fall below zero!
This event actively engages students to help them understand the importance of how their performance in school today impacts their future. It also provides the community an opportunity to share in local students’ learning and developing an understanding of the world of work.
JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades 6-12 that offers tools to successfully transition students into post-secondary school, the military, or directly into the workforce with marketable skills. JAG-K students are selected to join their local program if they identify with at least five different barriers to success that are recognized by JAG National standards. These barriers are broken down into academic, environmental, physical and psychological, and work-related categories.
JAG-K teaches young people career and leadership skills, provides work-based learning opportunities, and helps them earn credentials, gain employment , and enter postsecondary training and education. One of the main tenets of JAG-K is financial literacy. The organization teaches students about sound financial practices and offers participants an opportunity to engage in a financial literacy competition each spring.
To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.
Mirror, Inc. was established as a not-for-profit private corporation in Kansas in 1972 and is a leader in the behavioral health field. Mirror, Inc. provides prevention and treatment services throughout Kansas, with thirteen program locations. Their programs reach over 6,000 Kansans each year.
The Mirror, Inc Work for Success Program in Lawrence and Topeka feature the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Curriculum which is designed to inspire participants to realize their dreams and achieve self-sufficiency by providing hope, resources, and a plan. Mirror, Inc. believes in the value and potential of each individual, and this program will maximize individual talents, skills and the unique passions each client brings to their community and to their family. Not only will clients learn how to get a job, they will develop skills to keep that job and to continue moving forward. The Work for Success program provides services to unemployed and underemployed parents of minor children. One component of the Work for Success Program is financial literacy. The program has partnered with HCCI, Inc. since 2014 to provide financial literacy classes to program participants. These classes are important to the participants as many do not understand how to properly budget and many need credit counseling to get back on their feet. Participants work on creating a realistic budget, making a plan to reduce or eliminate personal debt, and are given tools for obtaining and maintaining employment. Their program case manager works with each participant to identify both a short-term and a long-term financial goal. The short-term financial goal should be completed by the end of the four-week training course. The long-term goal should be achieved within three months of the participant gaining employment. The case manager will track employment status and goal status for each participant.
For more information about Mirror, Inc. and the Work for Success Program visit their website at https://www.mirrorinc.org/.
In 1999, the Kansas Bankers Association (KBA) established the Kansas Bankers Education Foundation (KBEF) with the goal of educating those interested in pursuing a career in the banking industry and to help educate non bankers about the important role banks play in their communities. To accomplish these goals, KBEF has established its mission and objectives as follows:
- Enhance the Kansas Banking Industry’s Image
- Implement a Workforce Development Strategy to Attract the Next Generation of Banking Professionals
- Establish Banker Supported Sponsorship, Scholarship, and Endowment Opportunities
- Promote Financial Literacy
Trust Officer – https://vimeo.com/801733790
IT Officer – https://vimeo.com/801733344
All Three – https://vimeo.com/801732832
Ag Officer – https://vimeo.com/801731772
Request an OSBC Speaker
The Office of the State Bank Commissioner has staff available to present general information about our office, scope of regulation, and consumer services we provide. A Subject Matter Expert may also be able to present information on specific topics within the OSBC jurisdiction. Please use our Speaker Request Form to provide details about your event
