As students return to school this fall, Fifth Third is broadening access to its acclaimed Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy® financial literacy program.

Initially designed for high school students, the Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy® now includes an updated curriculum for junior high students. Additionally, the beloved Fifth Third Young Bankers Club® is celebrating its 20th year for elementary students.

For over two decades, Fifth Third has provided free financial education programs to help students from elementary to high school learn essential skills in budgeting, banking, borrowing, saving, investing, and entrepreneurship.

“At Fifth Third, we are dedicated to enhancing financial access and stability for everyone we serve,” said Aleta Young, corporate social responsibility strategies director for Fifth Third. “Our Finance Academy has been highly successful with high school students, motivating us to expand and improve our offerings for junior high students, creating a continuous learning journey.”

Thousands of students across the U.S. have benefited from these programs, with pre- and post-testing showing significant improvements in financial literacy. Both the Finance Academy and Young Bankers Club® are offered free of charge to schools and community organizations within Fifth Third’s 11-state footprint.

The Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy features courses in personal finance and entrepreneurship, with over 11 interactive, self-paced episodes that teach students how to earn income, manage credit, and invest for their future. The programs engage teens with games, humor, immersive storylines, and rich media.

“We’ve revamped Finance Academy this year to offer a more personalized experience,” Young said. “We’ve introduced new characters, added a hands-on approach, and designed it to scale easily to reach more students.”

The Fifth Third Young Bankers Club uses gamification to teach fourth, fifth, and sixth graders about budgeting, banking, borrowing, saving, investing, and more. Students play alongside the main character, Maximillion Money®, to solve real-world problems using their financial knowledge. They also go on virtual field trips to famous financial sites like the US Mint, the Federal Reserve Bank, Ft. Knox, and the US Treasury.

Fifth Third’s free digital financial education programs include:

•  Fifth Third Young Bankers Club (YBC): An engaging online financial education program that teaches students math and life skills with the help of Maximillion Money. The program meets Common Core and Jump$tart national education standards. For fourth- to sixth-grade students; spans up to eight weeks depending on grade level.

•  Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy Junior High Personal Finance: New for seventh- and eighth-grade students this year; spans five weeks. Meets national standards for personal finance education by the Council for Economic Education and Jump$tart (2021).

•  Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy High School Personal Finance: For ninth through 12th-grade students; spans seven weeks. Meets national standards for personal finance education by the Council for Economic Education and Jump$tart (2021).

•  Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy High School Entrepreneurship: For ninth through 12th-grade students; spans four weeks. Covers how to start and manage a successful business.

The Fifth Third Young Bankers Club and Fifth Third Finance Academy are collaborations between Fifth Third and VMG Studios, an Emmy award-winning creative agency and production studio. VMG Studios has received multiple awards for these programs, including a Gold AVA Digital Award, a platinum Hermes Award, and a Telly award for the Young Bankers Club, and a golden Telly and a Muse award for Finance Academy.

About Fifth Third:

Fifth Third is a bank with a rich history of innovation. Since 1858, it has been helping individuals, families, businesses, and communities grow through smart financial services. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to customers, employees, communities, and shareholders, Fifth Third aims to be the nation’s highest-performing regional bank.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol "FITB." Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products are provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.