WESTBROOK – Credit unions in Maine were among those in only four states to be honored recently for their youth financial education efforts with a DesJardins Youth Financial Education Award by the Credit Union National Association.

The awards committee cited “the strong partnership between the Maine Credit Union League and the Maine Council on Economic Education as an example of what can be accomplished to help children learn about personal finance and money management.”

The Maine CU League and a number of credit unions are major contributors to the council and are involved in schools throughout the state helping children develop a better understanding of financial concepts, such as balancing a checkbook, budgets, savings, credit cards and debts.

The Desjardins Award is named in honor of Alphonse Desjardins, the founder of the North American credit union movement. The Maine Credit Union League is the State Trade Association for Maine’s 77-affiliated Credit Unions providing a variety of services and products to assist Credit Unions in meeting the needs of their membership.