The Hawaii Credit Union League (HCUL) was honored with the Stephen L. Jackstadt Award from the Hawaii Council on Economic Education for its outstanding and sustained support of economic, financial literacy, and financial education initiatives in Hawaii. HCUL supports seven major programs focused on financial education for individuals of all ages, from free tax preparation for low-income residents to competitions and simulations that teach middle school and high school students about personal finance and economics. HCUL President Dennis Tanimoto, Vice Chairman Cheryl Marzo, and Liaison Kathy Morris accepted the award on behalf of HCUL and its member credit unions at the HCEE's annual dinner.

1. October 2016 Latest News | Hawaii Credit Union League www.hcul.org
League receives Stephen L. Jackstadt
Award from HCEE
October 11, 2016
Hawaii Credit Union League (HCUL) was honored on Saturday, October 8 at the Hawaii Council on
Economic Education (HCEE) 51st
Annual Dinner. The Stephen L. Jackstadt Award was presented to
HCUL in recognition of outstanding and sustained support of economics, financial literacy and/or
financial education in the State of Hawaii. The award is named after a former HCEE director who
contributed greatly to economic literacy in Hawaii.
HCUL is the leading advocate for its member credit unions and instrumental in guiding, educating,
and representing credit unions in the public and legislative arena. HCUL is also a leader in
promoting financial literacy through its Family Involvement Committee (FIC). HCUL supports seven
initiatives to assist Hawaii’s children, retirees, and public in financial education:
1. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance provides free tax filings for qualified individuals and help
receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit in partnership with HACBED and the IRS;
2. Homeownership Workshops to educate and provide counseling for present and future
homeowners through the Hawaii Home Ownership Center;
3. LifeSmarts Program, a gameshow style competition that develops consumer and marketplace
skills (including consumer rights, personal finance, health and safety, technology, and the
environment) for Hawaii’s middle and high school students via the State of Hawaii Department of
Commerce and Consumer Affairs;
4. Kids Savings Project helps children from low income families start the saving habits early in life by
providing seed money to open a savings account through the Family & Consumer Services
Department at the College of Tropical and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at
Manoa;
5. Showdown at Cash Canyon, a live theatrical performance program geared for students in
elementary school to learn about consumer attitudes, behavior about money, and to encourage
saving through the Hawaii State Public Library System.
6. Financial Reality Fairs are a fun, hands-on activity for students and young adults to learn about
managing personal finances. Community members and credit union staff assist students in
making decisions about everyday expenses and provide financial advice to help them keep a
budget. They approach the fair as if they had graduated from college, and have nothing—no car,

2. October 2016 Latest News | Hawaii Credit Union League www.hcul.org
no residence, no cell phone, etc. At the start of the fair, they are provided with a future life
scenario that includes a starting salary of a position in the career of their choice.
7. Economic and Financial Literacy Education for K-12 students to develop critical thinking and
STEM-related skills through support of the State of Hawaii Economics Challenge where high
school students learn about micro, macro, and international economics as well as current events.
In addition, the Hawaii Stock Market Simulation to help students in grades 3 through 12 learn
about budgeting, saving, investing, risk management, and the free market system though the
Hawaii Council on Economic Education.
Mahalo to credit unions and initiative partners for joining HCUL President Dennis Tanimoto, HCUL
Vice Chairman and FIC Chairman Cheryl Marzo, and HCUL FIC Liaison Kathy Morris at the annual
dinner:
• Ashford & Wriston, LLP
• Hawaii FCU
• Hawaii First FCU
• Hawaii State FCU
• HawaiiUSA FCU
• Hawaii Community FCU
• Hickam FCU
• Kekaha FCU
• Matanuska Valley FCU
• Pearl Hawaii FCU
• Financial Reality Foundation