American Riviera Bank (OTC BB: ARBV.OB) employees have been trading in their balance sheets for blackboards to teach young people their financial ABCs as part of the American Bankers Association’s National Teach Children to Save program. Presentations have included games and activities about the concept of saving, how interest makes money grow, how to budget and determining needs and wants.

Ten of the bank’s 16 employees have been visiting local schools, reaching more than 450 students with a message that is becoming more and more crucial to American society.

“We are excited to spend some time in our local classrooms, as today more than ever, our children need to learn about responsible finances at an early age,” said Jeff DeVine, American Riviera Bank’s president and CEO.

Each student goes home with packets filled with tips for family saving and budgeting, coloring books and crayons, and other tools. One lucky child in each class walks away with a piggy bank, including a one-dollar coin to start it off.

“Our nation’s savings rate, measured as the percent of disposable personal income, is negative, according to the Commerce Department,” the ABA said in a statement. “Today’s citizens aren’t saving, plain and simple. As recently as five years ago, our nation heeded the message that saving for a rainy day should be a top priority, and at that time Americans were saving almost 4 percent of their disposable income. That trend has reversed.

“Simple lessons on saving can help get children and teens on the right track.”

Rechelle Ringer is an operations support specialist at American Riviera Bank.