West Coast Bank
School Partner: Parrish Middle School

The Awesome Bucks Banking program at Parrish Middle School, sponsored by West Coast Bank’s downtown branch, began nine years ago as an effort to recognize students’ efforts to excel as well as teach kids the basics of savings, has grown into a micro economy and an incredible learning tool. Twice a week, student tellers, Parrish’s CSOC Laurie Baird, and West Coast Bank VP Sales Manager Deb Wilding, staff the teller windows where the young savers can deposit Awesome Bucks and check their balances.

Students earn “Awesome Bucks” for acts of kindness, good citizenship, earning a spot on the Honor Roll, and many other positive learning behaviors. Although the program’s intent is to engender the spirit of saving, students are able to spend their “Awesome Bucks” to shop for great items like sporting goods, school supplies, bikes, electronic equipment, and even gift cards. Parrish has many jobs in the school that pay kids with Awesome Bucks – Parrish’s own economic system:

• kitchen staff pays student servers weekly in Awesome Bucks;
• student tellers are paid for each shift as well as after school data entry;
• Watt Watchers (energy monitors) are paid monthly in Awesome Bucks;
• DLC and SCIP (highly autistic students) are paid for their recycling and newspaper delivery jobs;
• reader board workers;
• individual teachers paying students to clean/organize their classrooms after school.

Parrish has seen some surprising successes from the program, far beyond learning about savings. Students have shown positive changes, better grades, and more self-control.

In addition to sending personnel over for weekly banking days, West Coast Bank has been a generous financial sponsor. Bankrolling the yearly Awesome Bucks printing costs, providing blank check registers for bank accounts, and sharing purchase costs for the thrice yearly Awesome Bucks Store Day has provided continuity to the partnership. This nearly decade long incentive program is an integral thread in the fabric that binds community business and school together, weaving classroom principles and workplace practices together.

Thank you to West Coast Bank, our Business Partner of the Month.