BBVA USA continues its strong push to provide financial education opportunities in the communities it serves, despite the continuing challenge of pandemic related stay-at-home orders in many areas.
While the bank’s financial education workshops have traditionally been held in person, its Responsible Business team has shifted quickly to leverage digital solutions to provide the same curriculum through virtual workshops led by BBVA volunteer subject-matter experts. Since the transition to virtual workshops in April, the program has reached more than 2,000 participants.
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“We have always incorporated technology into our workshops, using iPads and computers in our financial education workshops across our footprint,” said Tony Moraga, Manager of Social Impact. “Because we already had the curriculum for our 13 topics on a digital platform, it was relatively simple for us to adapt the workshops to a remote setting.”
The biggest task in converting to a virtual program was training nonprofit partners and employee volunteers on the platform, which was specifically designed to work best on a mobile device or smartphone. This mobile-first approach was critical to allow as many community members as possible to participate in the virtual workshops, according to Moraga. “We know that not everyone has access to a computer at home, so we wanted to be sure the workshops were available on tablets and smartphones, as well.”
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Remote classes are taught on an online meeting platform, which allows participants to interact with the instructor, ask questions and participate in real-time surveys and interactive exercises. In addition to the 13 financial topics covered by BBVA’s current curriculum, two new modules, Mobile Banking and Debt Management, are in development and slated to be available in late July.
“As part of our vision of creating opportunities for everyone, BBVA remains dedicated to improving the lives and financial well-being of the people in our communities, and financial education is a key part of that,” said Rey Ocañas, Director of Communications and Responsible Business. “During these difficult times, it’s never been more important for people to understand and control their personal finances, and we will continue to find creative ways to help them do that.”
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