Santander Bank Donates $150,000 to Junior Achievement to Bring Financial Literacy Programs to Students

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Junior Achievement USA announced today that it received a grant of $150,000 from Santander Bank to bring financial literacy programs to students in six U.S. cities. The programs will teach students concepts related to budgeting, saving, and money management with the intent of promoting the development of good financial habits. The partnership includes the involvement of volunteers from Santander Bank to help deliver the programs to students. The six cities are: Philadelphia, PA; New York, NY; Boston, MA; Providence, RI; Harford, CT; and New Bedford, MA.

"Giving young people an understanding of how to work with money responsibly is a top priority for Junior Achievement because it's not just important to the well-being of the individual, but to their families and our community as a whole," said Jack Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "We're thankful to Santander Bank for providing the resources necessary for this partnership to help our young people grow up to be successful adults."

"To succeed in our global economy, young people need to be prepared to enter college and the workforce with an understanding of how to manage money," said Michael Cleary, head of Consumer and Business Banking for Santander. "We started a financial literacy program at Santander because our colleagues throughout the Northeast have financial aptitude and experience that can be of great value to students as they weigh their education and work options. Junior Achievement shares our commitment to building brighter futures and improving long-term economic outcomes for young adults and this is the first of what we hope will be a strong, multi-year partnership with this impressive organization."

About Santander Bank

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country's top retail and commercial banks by deposits and a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A. - one of the most respected banking groups in the world. With its corporate offices in Boston, Santander Bank's more than 670 branches and nearly 2,100 ATMs are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Bank's 9,400 employees are committed to helping our more than 2.1 million customers make progress toward their financial goals with the support of our call centers, interactive online banking platform, and easy-to-use mobile app. Madrid-based Banco Santander SAN, serves more than 117 million customers in the U.K., Europe, Latin America, and the U.S. Through its local affiliates, including Santander Bank, Banco Santander is the largest corporate contributor to higher education in the world, investing over $165 million annually in colleges and universities across more than 20 countries, including the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com.

About Junior Achievement USA®

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.6 million students per year in 112 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations in 121 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.