A+ Federal Credit Union (A+FCU) has continued its partnership with the Scouting America Capitol Area Council to help Scouts earn the Personal Management Merit Badge, a key requirement for achieving Eagle Scout status. Since 2010, this collaboration has focused on delivering financial education through interactive webinars and an online classroom.
The program is managed by the A+ Community Education team. It provides Scouts with direct access to industry experts who cover topics such as credit and debt, saving and investing, insurance and risk management, goal setting, and career exploration. The curriculum meets all ten requirements for the merit badge over six live webinars that include videos, storytelling, polls, Q&A sessions, and interactive activities.
Scouts also participate in a 13-week budgeting exercise where they create weekly budgets, track income and expenses, and analyze any differences between their plans and actual spending.
“It helped him think of and learn about a lot of topics (e.g. savings to insurance to planning) which I think he heard about but never really had structured instruction,” said Colin L., parent of a recent merit badge recipient. Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend these sessions with their Scouts to gain insights from the material and support ongoing discussions at home.
A+FCU reports that more than 1,280 Scouts have earned the Personal Management Merit Badge through this program since its inception. The initiative aims to provide young people with foundational money-management skills for long-term financial success.
Sessions are offered throughout the year in Spring, Summer, and Fall. More information about the program or membership opportunities can be found on A+FCU’s Scouting America webpage or by contacting their community education team via email or phone.
Founded in 1949 by teachers in Austin, Texas, A+ Federal Credit Union now serves over 190,600 members across 22 branches in the area. The institution offers various financial products along with digital banking solutions and educational programs for its community.
A+ Federal Credit Union’s headquarters is located at 6420 E. US 290 SVRD in Austin.
