We dusted off our backpacks and headed back to school this fall to take a first-hand look at The Branch at Greenville High — a one-of-a-kind program where students are given in-depth training to operate a fully-functioning Greenville Federal Credit Union branch inside their school. (Yeah — impressive.)

The Branch is conveniently located right in the cafeteria. | Photo by GVLtoday

What we tried:

We had a chance to watch the bank in action during lunch, with all of the credit union’s key roles filled by students:

New member specialists help students get signed up for the credit union.
Tellers handle withdrawals + deposits (including cash deposits)
An auditor oversees the accuracy and completeness of the operation’s records.

Learn more about the student's roles, including the ways they build financial literacy among their peers and the skills they take with them once they finish in the program below.

What not to miss:

On top of learning the different roles in a credit union and how to complete tasks associated with those roles, these students learn professional job skills they’ll take with them beyond Greenville High.

While some students — eight to be exact — have gone on to work for Greenville Federal Credit Union, others take the financial literacy, customer service + leadership skills to whichever career path they choose.

New member specialists learn customer service and communication skills. | Photo by GVLtoday

What we’re still talking about:

Outside of working in “The Branch,” students participate in outreach programs + create presentations on financial literacy. From discussions on budgeting to teaching classmates the importance of building credit, the student-employees take the lessons they’ve learned and share the knowledge with their peers.

Students participate in school initiatives, like Spirit Week. | Photo by GVLtoday

How you can experience this:

While The Branch at Greenville High School isn’t open to the public, it’s a replica of Greenville Federal Credit Union’s four other branches. When you stop by one of these public branches for services, you could have a former The Branch student taking care of you.

Things to know if you go:

Experience: A day in the life at Greenville Federal Credit Union’s Greenville High School Branch
Price: Free to visit any of the credit union's four branches
Website: greenvillefcu.com/about/the-credit-union/the-branch-at-greenville-high
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