State leaders, teachers and bankers came together to learn about the 22-year-old program
Texas Border Business
McALLEN, TEXAS – IBC Bank-McAllen along with Sam Houston Elementary School (McAllen Independent School District) and Mims Elementary School (Mission Independent School District) hosted a Minitropolis® orientation and showcase event. The event highlighted the 22-year-old Minitropolis® program and demonstrated how it works and how students learn to participate in their own community.
During the showcase, state legislators, state banking association leaders, superintendents, teachers and bankers experienced the Houstonville Minitropolis® and Mustangville Minitropolis® directly from the students and the school administrators who run the program on a daily basis.
The Minitropolis® program was established in McAllen in 1996 and is now running in more than 30 communities in the IBC Bank footprint across Texas and Oklahoma.
“IBC Bank-McAllen has taken the lead in establishing the Minitropolis® program in partnership with its financial literacy initiatives across more than 15 schools in Hidalgo County,” said Dora Brown, IBC Bank-McAllen senior vice president of marketing. “We are proud to see the program succeed, not only around our community, but also across Texas.”
The goal of the Minitropolis® program is to help school-aged students gain a better understanding of financial literacy concepts while learning the value of leadership and responsibility that will set them up for success as adults. The program functions as a mini city within a school, where students earn money they can save and spend at local businesses within their Minitropolis®.
IBC Bank-McAllen manages 16 Minitropolis® programs including:
- Sam Houston Elementary – Houstonville
- Captain D. Salinas Elementary – Salinasville
- Mims Elementary – Mustangville
- Midkiff Elementary – Republic of Midkiff
- E.B. Reyna Elementary – Reynavilla
- Escandon Elementary – Talon Town
- Seguin Elementary – Seguin Valley
- Wilson Elementary – Wilsonville
- Victor Fields Elementary – Falconville
- Hendricks Elementary – Starville
- Garza Pena Elementary – Kodiakville
- IDEA McAllen – Tigerville
- IDEA Pharr – Lionville
- IDEA Edinburg
- IDEA Mission
- IDEA RGC
“The Minitropolis® program has been able to flourish because of the immense amount of work, thought and care our staff, teachers and students put into the program every day,” said Adrian Villarreal, IBC Bank-McAllen president and CEO. “We are privileged to show everyone how this program works and why it’s beneficial to every student.”
In addition to the tour through Houstonville and Mustangville, attendees heard from a number of state and local leaders who support teaching financial literacy through the Minitropolis® program. Speakers included Dora Brown, IBC Bank-McAllen Senior Vice President of Marketing; Mark Magnon, IBC Bank-McAllen VP Commercial Lending; Jim Darling, Mayor of McAllen; Dr. Jose Gonzales, McAllen ISD Superintendent; Tony Forina, McAllen ISD Board Trustee President; and Debra Loya-Thomas, Principal Sam Houston Elementary School.
