Date: 08/11/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joanne Rau | President and CEO | 734-385-1135
CHELSEA STATE BANK ANNOUNCES INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS, FEATURING DEBIT CARDS AND BENEFITS – LAUNCHING WITH GRASS LAKE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2025 | GRASS LAKE, JACKSON, MI – Chelsea State Bank proudly announces the launch of a new banking initiative, SavvyStudent, designed for local students with a focus on financial literacy and banking principles. This program offers students a debit card featuring the option to include their school logo for the Chelsea School District, Dexter Community Schools, and Grass Lake Community Schools.
SavvyStudent will kick off with Grass Lake Community Schools during their open house on August 18, followed by Chelsea School District and Dexter Community Schools at their respective open houses.
“Financial literacy is a vital foundation for becoming a successful adult. After engaging in meaningful discussions with school and community leaders, we recognized our responsibility to create a program that bridges the gap between students, local school districts, and community banking. This is how SavvyStudent came to be,” stated Joanne Rau, President and CEO of Chelsea State Bank. “We owe it to Gen Z and Gen Alpha to provide solutions that are not only educational but also enjoyable and impactful, giving today’s students the chance to acquire essential financial skills. We have also included a benefit for participating schools—each school will receive a donation for every debit card ordered with their school logo.”
“The Grass Lake Community Schools are proud to partner with Chelsea State Bank to provide innovative learning experiences, valuable resources, and meaningful support for our families,” said Dr. Nicholas Angel, Grass Lake Superintendent of Schools. “This cutting edge partnership allows our students to be better prepared for life ahead. Together, we’re committed to teaching essential financial literacy skills that are critical for preparing students to succeed in today’s complex world.”
The financial literacy aspect is based on the FDIC’s How Money Smart Are You? Students from Pre-K through 5th Grade will engage with age-appropriate coloring pages and worksheets, which they can submit for cash rewards. Meanwhile, students in 6th through 12th grade can participate in interactive online games and modules, with the option to submit certificates of completion for monetary incentives.
SavvyStudent includes built-in parental controls through Chelsea State Bank’s robust and intuitive online banking. Parents can determine spending limits, pre-approve or deny merchants based on products/services, decline age-restrictive purchases, and so much more. The program is designed to send real-time notifications to parents’ mobile devices based on their alert preferences within online banking.
Parents/Guardians interested in learning more about this program should plan on attending one of the two upcoming virtual meetings.
- Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at
- 12:00 – 12:30 pm
- Thursday, September 4, 2025
- 6:00 – 6:30 pm
About Chelsea State Bank
Chelsea State Bank is a full-service financial institution with offices in Chelsea, Dexter, and Jackson. The Bank was formed over 125 years ago by local business leaders to provide timely financial solutions to individuals, families, and businesses in the community. This tradition of community service continues today. For more information, please call 734.475.1355 or visit www.chelseastate.bank.
