Bellwether Community Credit Union Celebrates Impact of Stickball Financial Literacy Program in Manchester Schools

Bellwether Community Credit Union, guided by its Banking with Heart mission, is proud to highlight the success of the Stickball program in the Manchester school system. This summer, 78 students completed a four-week financial literacy program designed to strengthen both academic and life skills.

The program combined fun with real-world learning. Lessons were customized to align with school math topics—fractions, interpreting graphs, and algebra—while also covering core financial skills such as prioritizing needs versus wants, earning money, saving and budgeting, and spending wisely.

At the heart of the curriculum was a dynamic “Lemonade Stand” simulation, where students practiced entrepreneurship by making budgeting, saving, reinvestment, and risk-management decisions. The interactive format gave participants valuable hands-on experience in financial decision-making while reinforcing classroom learning.

"The Stickball program is about giving students the tools they need to succeed in life—both inside and outside the classroom," said Nathan Saller, Bellwether President/CEO. "By combining financial literacy with math education and real-world simulations, we’re preparing the next generation to build bright futures. That’s what Banking with Heart is all about."