March 7, 2005 – So far in the 2004-2005 school year FirstBank Virgin Islands staff have visited eight public elementary schools in the Territory to give students the opportunity to open their own savings account and learn the benefits of saving. The visits were made as a result of the Students First at FirstBank program launched by the bank in late 2003.
The Students First program is designed to provide instructional and practical tools on the importance of saving to school-age children. During the 2003-2004 school year, FirstBank initiated the program in four of the Territory’s public schools to students in grades second through ninth. In May of 2004, the student who saved the most during the school year from each of the four schools was awarded a $50 savings bond by FirstBank so as to encourage the habit of saving.
The goal of the program is to share the principles and concepts of saving and basic banking with all V.I. students as well as to give students the opportunity to open their own savings account with a minimum deposit of $5. The program will be presented initially to all other public schools in the USVI as scheduling allows and subsequently to private and parochial schools. During the balance of the 2004-2005 school year, the Students First program will be launched at two more schools in the Territory. The schools that have hosted the Students First program so far include:
St. Thomas
E. Benjamin Oliver
Evelyn Marcelli
Leonard V. Dober
J. Antonio Jarvis
Joseph Sibilly
St. John
Julius Sprauve
Guy Benjamin
St. Croix
Pearl B. Larsen
Alexander Henderson
Alfredo Andrews
Charles H. Emmanuel
Ricardo Richards
Subsequent to one set of school presentations, Leona Malone, FirstBank banking consultant remarked, “I enjoyed the sixth graders at the school. They were truly interested and prepared for us with their questions and participation. The teacher prepared them well and she and her class deserve kudos."
Kathy McAllister, FirstBank service products manager said, "The group had many questions throughout the presentation, and the discussion actually evolved to the importance of establishing and keeping good credit."