More than money.
Building futures.
At Open Gym on June 2nd, the Jaguars partnered with Seattle Credit Union — Lynnwood Branch to give our youth something that lasts longer than any game: the knowledge to take control of their financial future.
- Financial Literacy
- Community Partnership
- Open Gym
Event Info
Financial Literacy Workshop at Open Gym
- Date June 2, 2025
- Event Open Gym — Volleyball
- Partner Seattle Credit Union, Lynnwood Branch
- Format 1-hour workshop + group activity
- Winner Lemonade Stand Challenge — gift cards awarded
Topics Covered
Wants vs. Needs
What Is a Savings Account?
Why Saving Matters
Needs · Savings · Giving
Budgeting Basics
Risk & Reward
Smart Spending
In Partnership With
Seattle Credit Union
Lynnwood Branch
WHEN THE COURT BECOMES A CLASSROOM
Open Gym is many things to the kids in our program — a place to compete, to connect, to belong. On June 2nd, it became something more. For the first hour of the evening, the gym floor transformed into a classroom as representatives from Seattle Credit Union’s Lynnwood Branch led our youth through an interactive financial literacy workshop.
The session was made possible as part of an ongoing partnership between the ACCESS Project, and Jaguars. Wally Webster II helped make the connection and coordinated the session.
WHAT THE KIDS LEARNED
The workshop opened with a foundational concept that sounds simple but carries real weight: the difference between wants and needs. From there, the Seattle Credit Union team walked kids through what a savings account actually is, why saving matters even in small amounts, and how to think about allocating money across three buckets — needs, savings, and giving.
“How to save money, why saving matters, and how even small amounts can grow over time.”
These aren’t abstract concepts. The team connected every lesson to real life — the kind of decisions young people are already making or will soon face. For many of the kids in the room, this was the first time anyone had broken down how money actually works in a way that felt relevant to them.
Topics covered:
- Wants vs. Needs
- What Is a Savings Account?
- Why Saving Matters
- Needs · Savings · Giving
- Budgeting Basics
- Risk & Reward
- Smart Spending
THE LEMONADE STAND CHALLENGE
Then came the part everyone will be talking about. Kids split into teams to play a lemonade stand budgeting game — a fast-paced, hands-on exercise built around real financial decision-making. Each team was given a budget and had to make a series of choices with real consequences: How much do you spend on supplies? Do you invest in marketing, even when it eats into your budget? What happens when something unexpected goes wrong?
The risk/reward decisions weren’t hypothetical — they played out in real time, with teams watching their choices either pay off or cost them. By the end, one team came out on top, earning gift cards as the prize for the best financial strategy. But every team walked away with something more valuable than gift cards: a better understanding of how budgeting, risk, and reward actually work together.
MORE THAN A LESSON
What made this event stand out wasn’t just the curriculum. The Seattle Credit Union team came ready to be part of the community — not just present in it. After the workshop wrapped, they stayed on the floor and played alongside the kids. They shot hoops. They played volleyball. They brought the kind of energy that made the whole evening feel like a celebration, not a lecture.
That matters. When the people teaching you show up as real participants — not just visitors from a bank — the lessons land differently. The connection between financial knowledge and real community became something the kids could actually see and feel in that room.
WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP EXISTS
The Jaguars were founded on the belief that youth development doesn’t stop at athletics. It includes mentorship, opportunity, and access — access to the tools and knowledge that shape a person’s future. Partnering with Seattle Credit Union is a natural extension of that mission.
Financial literacy is one of the most underserved areas in youth education. Too many young people reach adulthood without a basic understanding of saving, budgeting, or how money grows over time. Evenings like June 2nd are one part of changing that — one team, one gym, one conversation at a time.
We’re grateful to the Seattle Credit Union Lynnwood Branch for showing up, staying late, and making this more than just a workshop. And to the kids who played hard, thought harder, and left knowing a little more about their own financial power — we see you.
OPEN A YOUTH
SAVINGS ACCOUNT
Seattle Credit Union offers Youth Savings and Youth Checking Accounts for young people in our community. Opening one takes as little as $5.00.
Required documents for the youth: birth certificate, Social Security number, emergency contact addendum.
Required for parent/guardian (ages 12 and under): valid government-issued photo ID, proof of address.
Contact the Seattle Credit Union Lynnwood Branch to learn more or get started.
Ages 13+
can open an account independently.
Ages 12
and under need a parent or legal guardian on the account.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: June 2, 2025
Event: Open Gym — Volleyball
Partner: Seattle Credit Union, Lynnwood Branch
Format: 1-hour workshop + group activity
Winner: Lemonade Stand Challenge — gift cards awarded
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The Jaguars Community Organization | Lynnwood, WA | Founded May 2025
To engage and mentor youth in our community through athletics, recreational events, and community philanthropy.