LETHBRIDGE – ATB Financial paid a visit to Our Lady of the Assumption School Thursday morning to kick off the Junior ATB program, the first of its kind in Lethbridge.
The program started in 2009 and is used in almost 30 schools province-wide, but this is the first time Lethbridge students have seen it.
“We want to give the kids an opportunity to learn more about savings earlier in life and we also want to give them the opportunity to really get that experience in a job earlier in life, too,” said Rob Bain, who manages the ATB Paramount branch downtown.
The school’s 250 students gathered in the gym to cut the ribbon and officially kick off Junior ATB. Afterward, the bank tellers, made up of specifically-selected Grade 5 and 6 students, took to their posts to begin showing other students how the deposit process works.
“Most of the kids were pretty excited about the idea of being able to bring money into the school and deposit it into the school bank,” said Kelly Roth, who teaches Grade 4 and 5 students. “I also saw my team of ATB employees really come out and share their passion for the project.”
The goal of the program, which goes until May, is to teach financial literacy to kids of all ages; some of those involved took even more away from the experience, such as how customer service works.
“If you’re not friendly, then people aren’t very comfortable to come here, but if you don’t handle money properly then there’s a chance it could be stolen or lost,” said Grace Hansen, a Grade 5 student.
Specific dates for program events are not set, but ATB says it plans to hold such ceremonies at the school annually, typically beginning the planning and interviewing of Grade 5 and 6 students in September.
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