BBVA Compass and NBA Cares bring financial education, literacy and fitness to Franklin and Eliot Elementary Schools

HOUSTON, Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Students at Charles W. Eliot and Benjamin Franklin Elementary Schools learned the finer points of fitness from basketball luminaries, listened as BBVA Compass volunteers read stories, and participated in an online financial literacy program as part of Team. Works. In Schools, a joint initiative by BBVA Compass and NBA Cares.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130214/DA60784-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130214/DA60784-b)

BBVA Compass President and CEO Manolo Sanchez kicked off the program noting a strong education is key to helping students to realize their dreams. He said BBVA Compass and the NBA sought to assist students in improving their reading, math and, of course, basketball skills.

As promised by Sanchez, BBVA Compass volunteers, WNBA players Swin Cash and Candice Wiggins and NBA legends Robert Horry, Dikembe Mutombo, George Gervin, TJ Ford, Calvin Murphy, Darryl Dawkins, Ron Harper, Felipe Lopez, and Bob Lanier guided third through fifth grade students in fitness and basketball activities at the NBA FIT clinic. NBA All-Star James Harden made a special appearance at Benjamin Franklin Elementary, encouraging each student to live an active, healthy lifestyle.

Students in kindergarten through sixth grade also received financial education through the BBVA Compass Financial Scholars and Teach Children to Save Programs. Each program offered age-specific instruction to students, helping them to cultivate good financial habits.

BBVA Group President and COO Angel Cano and Sanchez quizzed third through fifth grade students during the interactive Financial Knowledge Bowl, a trivia question-and-answer session, and joined additional BBVA Compass and EverFi volunteers in administering EverFi's web-based VAULT™ program. This interactive curriculum helped students begin building the foundation for sound financial decision making.

Cano and Sanchez, along with NBA participants and more than 40 BBVA Compass volunteers, also read to kindergarten through second graders and gave more than 1,000 books to Franklin and Eliot students.

"When we make a difference in a school, we make a difference in the lives of its students," said Cano. "We are excited about our partnership with the NBA, especially the work that BBVA Compass does with NBA Cares here in the U.S. Like the NBA, we strive to improve the communities in which we operate. That is what today is all about."

Volunteers cataloged and labeled new non-fiction books donated to the Franklin Elementary School library by BBVA Compass. The BBVA Compass Foundation and the NBA also donated refurbished computers and furniture to Eliot Elementary School's Parents' Alliance computer lab, which provides internet access and educational resources to parents.

Additionally, both schools received spruced up basketball courts, 30 tablet computers, mobile computer carts and a laptop.

"Franklin Elementary is thrilled to be partnering with NBA and BBVA Compass for the NBA Cares. Team. Works. In Schools event this week," said Jilliane Raphiel McCardle, Franklin Elementary principal.  "This event gives our students the chance to shine as they spend the morning learning with NBA and BBVA Compass volunteers. Our Franklin Elementary Proud Patriot students and staff are so grateful for the generous donation of tablets and non-fiction books that will enhance our instructional programs."

"The resources and time that the NBA and BBVA Compass volunteers have dedicated to our campus will have an everlasting, positive impact in the lives of each student for years to come," said Zandra Aguilar, Eliot Elementary principal. "We are forever grateful that Eliot Elementary was selected for this great event." 

This marks the fourth consecutive year that BBVA Compass and NBA Cares have teamed up for the Team. Works. In Schools initiative. The events mark the 15th and 16th hands-on service projects since the program's inception in 2010.

About BBVA Group

BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared toward high-growth markets and relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. BBVA ranks among the leading eurozone banks in terms of return on equity and efficiency. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies best practices. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at www.bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 708 branches, including 367 in Texas, 93 in Alabama, 79 in Arizona, 65 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 21 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 20 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading Small Business Administration lenders and ranked third in American Banker's 2012 reputation study of the leading 30 banks in the U.S. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com.

Editor's Note:
BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank.

About EverFi

EverFi, Inc. is the leading education technology company focused on teaching, assessing, and certifying K-12 and college students in the critical skills they need for life. The company teams with major corporations and foundations to provide the programs at no cost to K-12 schools. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EverFi investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Rethink Education, New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA), and Tomorrow Ventures (the investment arm of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt). Learn more at www.everfi.com

About Vault

Vault™ - Understanding Money is an interactive, new-media learning platform specifically designed to introduce financial literacy skills early in a child's cognitive development. Course topics include saving, budgeting, responsibility and decision-making, credit and debt, careers, income, charity, and more. The course features interactive lessons, games, and story-based activities that challenge kids to make choices in real-life scenarios to best achieve important goals around saving and job planning. The 2.5-hour curriculum aligns with both state and national standards. 

SOURCE BBVA Compass