Financial Education In a Laundromat

As a community bank with nearly 100 years of history in the Milwaukee area, North Shore Bank is no stranger to finding innovative ways to educate its neighbors on financial literacy – starting with nearly 20 years ago, when the bank opened the region's first bank branch inside an ethnic supermarket. This year, just a few blocks away, North Shore Bank partnered with the City of Milwaukee's Office of Early Childhood Initiatives and non-profit organization, Laundry Cares, to create a safe space for community members to learn while they complete essential, day-to-day tasks – like laundry. Together, the community leaders created and, in February of 2022, unveiled a brand-new 'Read, Play, Learn' space at a Milwaukee southside laundromat, Blue Kangaroo. The 'Read, Play, Learn Space' was outfitted with a lounge space and 50 new and culturally affirming books that are meant to be taken home and will be continuously replenished. The purpose of the space is to create a welcoming atmosphere where families can relax and learn while spending their time at the laundromat. To meet the needs of the community, the books are bilingual and as part of North Shore Bank's contribution to the effort, more than 25% of the books cover financial literacy to help young children start successful spending, saving and sharing practices from a young age. A video that summarizes the program can be found here: https://laughlin.box.com/s/p2f9iicdkgmcvwij8djv1x6hqh1gwpg0