St. Petersburg, Fla. (July 9, 2024) – Velera – formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions, the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and an integrated financial technology solutions provider – is excited to announce it has launched a credit union-focused partnership with 3DE by Junior Achievement, an innovative model for public education focused on reengineering high school in order to provide economic opportunity for all students.

3DE by Junior Achievement is an immersive public high school model serving over 15,000 students across 60 schools in 32 districts and 13 states. 3DE makes learning relevant by connecting education to real-world concepts, drives engagement through business connectivity, and enhances student retention with opportunities to apply academic knowledge.

Under the brand “Credit Unions Nationwide,” Velera, as the lead sponsor for this case study, is partnering with 14 credit unions in six U.S. cities – Atlanta; Tampa; Houston; Kansas City; Minneapolis; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In collaboration with 3DE, they have co-authored a credit union-focused case study for students in 3DE Schools. 3DE ninth-grade students in participating cities and schools will engage with the case study, developing the 3DE competency of Self Direction and an understanding of the value of credit unions and the importance of savings. Velera’s new partnership with 3DE by Junior Achievement will amplify current efforts with Junior Achievement (JA) across the industry, with more than 350 credit unions in 41 states already working with JA in some capacity. In fact, credit unions were recently recognized with a Gold U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award for dedicating over 10,000 hours of volunteerism to JA. Other recipients of this recognition included Accenture LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG LLP and the National Credit Union Foundation.

“Velera is extremely proud and excited to have the opportunity to establish a partnership with 3DE by Junior Achievement on behalf of the credit union industry. Many credit unions already work with Junior Achievement at the local level, and we are energized to elevate credit union involvement on a larger scale and supplement the great work already taking place,” said Velera President and CEO Chuck Fagan. “We are looking forward to putting the ‘people helping people’ credit union philosophy into practice through this partnership, and to help prepare our nation’s youth to meet the challenges of today’s financial landscape.”

Credit unions currently partnering alongside Velera on the new Credit Unions Nationwide initiative include:

Associated Credit Union (Norcoss, Georgia)
Blaze Credit Union (Falcon Heights, Minnesota)
CommunityAmerica Credit Union (Kansas City, Missouri)
Floridacentral Credit Union (Tampa, Florida)
Georgia United Credit Union (Duluth, Georgia)
Grow Financial Federal Credit Union (Tampa, Florida)
Mazuma Credit Union (Overland Park, Kansas)
Resource One Credit Union (Dallas)
Shell Federal Credit Union (Deer Park, Texas)
Smart Financial Credit Union (Houston)
Suncoast Credit Union (Tampa, Florida)
USF Federal Credit Union (Temple Terrace, Florida)
Wellby Financial Credit Union (Houston)
Wings Credit Union (Apple Valley, Minnesota)

Velera’s goal is to continue expanding this partnership following a successful pilot program during the 2024-2025 school year. Credit unions interested in participating can contact JA@pscu.com for more information.

About Velera
Velera, formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions, is the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and an integrated financial technology solutions provider. With over four decades of industry experience and a commitment to service excellence and innovation, the company serves more than 4,000 financial institutions throughout North America, operating with velocity to help its clients keep pace with the rapid momentum of change and fuel growth in the new era of financial services. Velera leverages its expertise and resources on behalf of credit unions and their members, offering an end-to-end product portfolio that includes payment processing, fraud and risk management, data and analytics, digital banking, instant payments, strategic consulting, collections, ATM and POS networks, shared branching and 24/7/365 member support via its contact centers. For more information, visit pscu.com and coop.org.