Teach Children To Save

SENATOR DANIEL K. AKAKA AND HAWAII NATIONAL BANK TALK SAVINGS WITH POHAKEA ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Honolulu, Hawaii (April 16, 2009) – On April 7, Pohakea Elementary School sixth graders heard from Senator Daniel K. Akaka and Hawaii National Bank President Warren K.K. Luke about the importance of saving to kick off the American Bankers Association (ABA) Education Foundation’s Teach Children to Save program. Students identified the difference between needs and wants and discussed free or low-cost alternatives to spending money.

Akaka and Luke’s visit started the 13th year of the ABA Education Foundation’s Teach Children to Save Program, which aims to spread financial literacy to youth throughout the country. The program encourages bankers to visit classrooms to teach the importance of fiscal responsibility and saving. Senator Akaka sits on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, while Mr. Luke acts as chairman and president of Hawaii National Bank, treasurer of the American Bankers Association and serves as a trustee of the ABA Education Foundation.

Pohakea Elementary School welcomed the return of Senator Akaka, the first-ever principal of the Ewa Beach school. Akaka was instrumental in its establishment and even gave the school its name. When asked why he named the school “Pohakea” by a curious sixth grader, the senator explained the meaning of the Hawaiian word, which translates loosely to “enlightenment,” and said he chose it to signify the opportunities that would come to the community and its people through education.

Hawaii National Bank was founded in 1960 and quickly established a reputation for service and innovation. Today with the latest technology in place, Hawaii National Bank continues to offer world class financial resources with a personal customer oriented approach. Hawaii National Bank values its role as a community lender and offers special expertise in small business lending, supporting a wide variety of closely-held and locally-owned businesses.

The ABA Education Foundation's mission is to help bankers make their communities better through financial education. The foundation operates two national financial education programs for bankers, Teach Children to Save and Get Smart About Credit. Through its national programs, the ABA Education Foundation has helped more than 72,000 bankers teach personal finance skills to nearly 3.3 million children and young adults. Founded and funded by bankers, the foundation works closely with a board of bankers and is a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association.