Citizens and Junior Achievement of New Jersey Partner to Expand Financial Literacy at JA BizTown Ribbon Cutting in Edison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Citizens and Junior Achievement of New Jersey Partner to Expand Financial Literacy at JA BizTown Ribbon Cutting in Edison

Edison, NJ - April 30, 2024 - Citizens and Junior Achievement of New Jersey -JANJ- announced their expanded partnership to empower New Jersey students with essential financial literacy and business skills with the ribbon cutting of Citizens' new interactive bank experience at the JANJ Education Center's BizTown in Edison, NJ. The event was attended by students from Perth Amboy Public Schools and representatives from both Citizens and Junior Achievement of New Jersey.
JANJ's BizTown offers a simulated town experience where students learn about different aspects of careers and economics as they run businesses for a day. The collaboration with Citizens allows students to learn about banking and financial services, gaining practical insights into business and personal money management, career exploration, and career readiness.

"Thank you, Citizens, for prioritizing the future of New Jersey's young people," said James Horne, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of New Jersey. "Together, we are preparing young people to thrive in the global economy. We're excited about the positive impact this partnership will have on students' lives now and into their futures.”

The longstanding partnership between Citizens and Junior Achievement of New Jersey is a testament to a shared commitment to empowering youth with the knowledge and skills needed for future success. Through this collaboration, thousands of students will receive a dynamic and immersive learning experience in a safe and supportive environment with coaching and encouragement from Citizens volunteers and several other partners that bring real-world learning to life.

“One of the most important things we do at Citizens is provide financial education and guidance to empower our customers, colleagues, and communities,” said Danny Lee, Retail District Manager at Citizens. “As a board member for Junior Achievement of New Jersey and a Citizens colleague, I'm proud to link the two organizations in this way and be the bank that kids will see when they visit BizTown to learn money management skills, economic concepts, and banking practices.”
Building on their long-standing partnership, Citizens recently announced a $415,000 grant to Junior Achievement USA to support financial empowerment programs that give people the confidence and tools they need to budget, save, invest, and pursue their goals. As part of the bank's Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program, Citizens provides funding and volunteer support to help deliver financial education. In 2023, volunteers donated 3,363 hours to help deliver Junior Achievement programming in 28 cities.

About JA of New Jersey -JANJ-:
JA of New Jersey -JANJ- is an award-winning, free educational resource JA operation dedicated to providing New Jersey's youth with relevant experiential education in financial literacy, career readiness, entrepreneurship, and life skills. We imagine a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. With its headquarters and Capstone programs located in the JA Education Center, in Raritan Center, Edison, NJ, JANJ is committed to giving all young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success and plan for their futures. JANJ’s learning experiences are held at the JA Education Center, in schools, on college/university campuses, in corporate facilities, and online through digital learning experiences. For more information, visit janj.org and follow JANJ on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation's oldest and largest financial institutions, with $220.4 billion in assets as of March 31, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook

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