Ashland opens bank as kids learn value of saving

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Gallery (click any photo to view the gallery)
Students at Ashland Elementary are welcome to open a savings account at their school's mini branch of PNC Bank. Branch hours are 7:30 to 8 a.m. on the first and third Wednesdays.

Students at Ashland Elementary are welcome to open a savings account at their school's mini branch of PNC Bank. Branch hours are 7:30 to 8 a.m. on the first and third Wednesdays.

Students at Ashland Elementary are welcome to open a savings account at their school's mini branch of PNC Bank. Branch hours are 7:30 to 8 a.m. on the first and third Wednesdays.Young bank tellers record the savings deposits, which are taken directly downtown by PNC professionals on hand to answer questions.The marketing team greeted students at the front door before the grand opening. They also advertised on Ashland's morning news show and put up posters around the school.Providing good customer service and communicating well with the public is one goal of the program. The young bank employees also reinforce their math skills.The partnership also teaches youngsters how to project a professional image. Jeremy Brooking, manager of the PNC Lexington Tower and Plaza branches, visited Ashland Elementary several times to train the student staff. Fifth-grader Alex Pickett is his school's branch manager.Ashland's bank staff includes marketing rep Cheyenne Jones, tellers Jatarria Edwards and Katie Montgomery, branch manager Alex Pickett, teller Katrina Baniak, marketer Cody Wilson, teller Jenna Strange and marketer Silas Petermann.

The bank is now open for business at Ashland Elementary, where a handful of students staff a school-based mini branch and accept real-life deposits from their classmates.

The partnership with PNC Bank emphasizes the importance of establishing a savings account.

“You have to be prepared for the future, so why not start early?” fifth-grader Alex Pickett said at Wednesday’s grand opening.

The eight-member staff includes Alex as branch manager; tellers Katie Montgomery, Katrina Baniak, Jatarria Edwards and Jenna Strange; and marketing reps Cheyenne Jones, Cody Wilson and Silas Petermann. Ashland tapped these fourth- and fifth-graders because of their trustworthiness, academic records, people skills, creativity and energy.

“You have to be able to approach people. You can’t be shy,” said Silas, who fashioned a sandwich board to advertise the new bank on the school’s morning news show and greeted students at the front door.

The bank is open from 7:30 to 8 a.m. on the first and third Wednesdays. The kids set up in the library, where Alex welcomes customers.

“The teller takes the money and records it on a tally sheet. They mark who it belongs to and put it in that account,” explained Katrina, who noted that honesty is an essential quality for bank employees.

Professionals from PNC will be on hand each time to carry students’ cash and checks directly downtown. The children cannot deposit more than $20 in cash at once, and they cannot make withdrawals from the school branch.  

PNC also works with five other schools statewide, including Glendover Elementary.

Jeremy Brooking, manager of the PNC Lexington Tower and Plaza branches, visited Ashland several times to train the student staff for their various roles.

“We talked about making sure people know we’re the leaders of this bank and that people can rely on the students running the bank,” Brooking said, adding, “They have a genuine interest.”

Through this program, students reinforce their math skills, practice good customer service, and learn how to project a professional image and communicate with the public.

“If a teller has trouble or a customer has questions, I’d be the person they’d come to,” said Alex, who donned a sharp suit and tie for the grand opening. “To be a manager, you have to be a leader and be aware of everything going on. You have to be the Renaissance man.”

Resources

At Ashland Elementary, (859) 381-3243

At PNC Bank: