MACA students learn banking at UCB's 'Our School Bank'

Every Friday, Sharon Arnold of United Community Bank's Marketing Department packs up and heads to Mountain Area Christian Academy (MACA) for the morning. Waiting inside the school are several eager students, kindergarten through 5th grade, who are ready for another morning of 'Our School Bank'.

Our School Bank is a United Community Bank program designed to teach young students about banking, how to operate their own bank and how to be use a bank as a consumer.

"It's a thrill to see these kids each week," Arnold says. "There is so much joy at this school, and when it comes to Our School Bank even the teachers make deposits! When I get to the school at 9:30, I grab my workers and they move the bank to the cafeteria, set it up, get the candy ready and we are ready for customers."

Arnold says that one of the most exciting days of the month - for the students and her - is 'prize day'.

"You should see the students' eyes just glow as they see the prizes," she says. "They go and tell their friends and the next thing you see is all these kids digging through their backpacks for some loose change so they can all participate. It's really awesome to know that United can offer a program that makes banking this exciting to our next generation of customers."