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First National Bank and Trust Company Partners with YMCA to Offer Middle School Entrepreneur Camp

May 21, 2018

Clinton, Ill., May 21, 2018 – First National Bank and Trust Company and financial literacy partner, TS Institute, will host an entrepreneur camp for middle school students June 4-8, 2018 in conjunction with the Clinton YMCA.

This week-long camp teaches students how to take a concept and develop it into a viable business. Campers will learn how to create, market, and pitch their ideas to investors while learning collaboration and interpersonal skills during creative team-building projects. Several local business owners will provide mentoring on how to run a business, create advertising, secure financing and how to best utilize personal skills and talents. 

The hope is Clinton area students will want to learn more about owning their own businesses and spur enrollment in the CEO program which is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2019 at Clinton High School. First National Bank and Trust Company has pledged $3,000 towards the program to be distributed over the next three years. The program will partner with local small businesses and introduce high school seniors in Clinton, Blue Ridge, Maroa-Forsyth, and Warrensburg-Latham to the entrepreneurial experience. Research reveals communities grow and attract younger residents when small, local businesses are supported and flourish. 

Financial literacy curriculum provided by TS Institute, is made possible by First National Bank and Trust’s mission to reinvest 10 percent of its pre-tax income back into the community. The non-profit was created in 2009 to collaborate with school districts and promote financial literacy, with a goal to provide a program to students, in grades K-12, with knowledge to make sound financial decisions. TS Institute expanded to Illinois with the hire of Connie Unruh in fall of 2017. 

"TS Institute, the non-profit affiliate of First National Bank and Trust Company, is committed to financial literacy and strengthening our community through the creation of local small businesses.” Said Connie Unruh, TS Institute Financial Literacy Coordinator. “We believe communities are only as strong as their small businesses. This is a great step to introduce entrepreneur concepts to our local youth.” 

The entrepreneurship camp runs Monday, June 4 through Friday, June 8 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and costs $30. However, the fee is waived for Camp Osage campers. Before and after care is available for a small fee. The camp will be held at the Clinton YMCA with local field trips planned to area businesses. Please call the Clinton YMCA at (217) 935-8307 to register. 

About First National Bank and Trust Company: First National Bank & Trust Company is a community bank located in Clinton, Illinois. Dedicated to community prosperity, the bank was chartered in 1872 under the name DeWitt County National Bank. The name was changed First National Bank and Trust Company in 1974, and was recently acquired by TS Banking Group in 2017. With $125 million in assets, First National Bank is dedicated to community reinvestment and gives 10% of its net income back to the community. For more information visit firstnbtc.com.

About TS Institute: Financial literacy curriculum provided by TS Institute, is made possible by First National Bank and Trust Company’s mission to reinvest 10 percent of its pre-tax income back into the community. The non-profit was created in 2009 to collaborate with school districts and promote financial literacy, with a goal to provide a teacher workshops, after school training and classroom curriculum and programming for students K-12 to equip them with knowledge to make sound financial decisions.