Jovia Financial Credit Union executives were joined by teachers, students and parents last week to mark the complete return of the business and finance educational program at Commerce Plaza in Levittown. 

Commerce Plaza now returns to 100 percent capacity for local school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Closed during the pandemic and only partially re-opened during the 2021-2022 school year, Commerce Plaza is a hands-on educational program for students to learn about the work world, finances, and economics through a simulated, business environment.  

The Commerce Plaza program is designed for fifth and sixth grade students who take on the role of retail operators and providers of services for consumers, for a full day, following a six-week curriculum in their home schools. More than 73,000 children have been through the program since its inception, according to a Jovia statement. 

During the re-opening ceremony, representatives of Jovia also introduced Curio, the credit union’s new financial education program and mobile app, developed to incentivize youth with banking features and rewards. It is also aimed at enhancing financial literacy among young people and their families and designed to be fully integrated within the credit union’s mobile banking and online platforms. 

“Commerce Plaza is the perfect location to introduce our new app, Curio, to assist young people to learn how to save, earn and be financially responsible,” Peter Purpura, AVP for business development at Jovia. “We are sure that Curio and its many benefits will be well received by a new generation of Jovia members and their parents.” 

Adrienne LoPresti, executive director of YES Community Counseling Center, who operates Commerce Plaza, said its program and experiences empower young people and gives them an opportunity to know what it is like to work, cash checks, use an interactive teller machine, operate a business, and interact with fellow employees.  

“Due to the pandemic, we were forced to shut down our program for nearly two years,” LoPresti said in the statement. “We are grateful to our partners such as Jovia Financial Credit Union and our other sponsors for their support which has allowed us to reopen for the entire school year. We can now continue our meaningful work with school districts.”

David Winzelberg

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