CLAY COUNTY – VyStar Credit Union announced today the launch of its High School Debit Card Give Back Program, which provides financial support to the 18 area high schools, including Fleming Island, Middleburg, Clay and Orange Park, with VyStar branches when participating members complete financial transactions.

Each high school involved in the VyStar Academy of Business High School Branch Program has a unique debit card that is branded with its school logo and is available to anyone with a VyStar personal checking account. Through the Give Back Program, VyStar will donate five cents to the corresponding school for every purchase made with that school’s debit card. Donations will be up to $10,000 a year for each school.

“The High School Debit Card Give Back Program makes contributing to these educational institutions as easy as using a debit card for everyday purchases,” said Michael Rathjen, VyStar’s Vice President of School Programs. “From students to graduates to parents – or anyone with pride for their neighborhood school – we hope the community will use these debit cards to generate funding and give back in a special way.”

Any VyStar member with a personal checking account can visit a branch to request a school-branded debit card to participate in the new program. Additionally, opening a personal checking account can be done online, at a branch or by calling VyStar’s Contact Center at (904) 777-6000 or (800) 445-6289. VyStar’s Contact Center representatives are available every day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., excluding holidays. For information about a specific branch, please visit VyStar’s locations webpage.

VyStar launched the High School Branch Program in 2006 to provide work-site experience and paid internship opportunities to students across the communities it serves. The program enables students to experience the inner workings of key financial services, as the day-to-day operations of the high school branches are managed by a team of students under the co-supervision of the school’s career and technical education teacher and VyStar personnel. Since the program was created, more than 1,500 paid student internships have been completed, and more than 85,000 students have received financial education. Additionally, more than 60 student graduates have been hired for full-time positions at VyStar.

“Our high school branches teach students the importance of creating a strong foundation, which can lead to a lifetime of financial wellness,” said VyStar EVP/Chief Operations Officer Chad Meadows. “We believe that today’s students will go on to become tomorrow’s leaders, and it is our responsibility to help them reach their full potential. VyStar is proud to give back to local schools through this program while also building on the school spirit that already exists across our communities.”

To learn more about VyStar, please visit vystarcu.org.