In 2019, Genisys Credit Union began a partnership with Herrington Elementary School’s kindergarten and first-grade classes for a four year Reading Buddy Program. The credit union has been awarded the Communitas Award for its efforts with the program. 

“We truly enjoy creating programs that impact student’s lives, both present, and future,” said Jackie Buchanan, President / CEO of Genisys Credit Union. “Being able to support the communities we serve is an important part of what makes Genisys, Genisys.” 

The Communitas Award is an international effort to recognize exceptional businesses, organizations, and individuals who are unselfishly giving of themselves and their resources, and those who are changing how they do business to benefit their communities. 

The Reading Buddy Program connects Genisys employees with the kindergarten and first-grade students as they work together to improve their individual reading skills. The program encourages the importance of reading by providing the students with their own books tailored to each students’ reading level. Genisys employees will be paired with these students until they reach the end of their third-grade year. At that time the goal is to have the students successfully reading at the third-grade level in time to take the state-wide reading assessment at the end of the year.  To track progress, the students are tested in October and again in March throughout the four years. 

“Pontiac School District has an excellent partner in Genisys Credit Union,” said Kelley Williams, Superintendent of Pontiac School District. “The classroom supports they provide are helping us to better prepare our students to reach Michigan’s PA306 reading benchmarks.” 

Genisys Credit Union thanks Communitas Awards for the recognition.