Baldwin County students are getting a boost in the classroom thanks to a credit union debit card program that turns everyday swipes into school funding.
Pen Air Federal Credit Union presented the Baldwin County Education Coalition with a check for $8,827.53 generated by its Share It program, which donates a penny per signature-based debit card transaction to the school district a member chooses — at no cost to the cardholder.
“Pen Air’s pledge to support education is directly shown through our Share It program,” said Casey Brueske, community education development specialist for the credit union. “This program offers our members a chance to partner with us and enhance the lives of students in their local community by funding programs, like the Palm Project, in Baldwin County Schools. All you have to do is swipe your card.”
Funds headed to Palm Project initiative
Terry Burkle, executive director of the Baldwin County Education Coalition, said every dollar of the contribution will support the coalition’s Palm Project, an initiative that supplies Baldwin County students with necessities intended to remove barriers to learning, raise academic achievement and support social-emotional development. Burkle noted that roughly 49 percent of the district’s students are classified as living in poverty.
Members enrolled in Share It can direct their donations to school systems in Escambia County, Florida; Santa Rosa County, Florida; or Baldwin County, Alabama. Previous rounds of Share It funding have paid for teacher professional development and classroom literacy resources aimed at improving student achievement across Baldwin County’s public schools.