Credit Union Development Education (DE Program)
Transformative, experiential training established to connect people with the value proposition of credit unions using empathy and purpose.
Register for Spring DE Training!
This coming spring, the Foundation will host two virtual DE Training sessions. While we are hopeful to be able to resume in-person training soon, we believe that DE Training is more important now more than ever before and hope that you will consider joining us for a virtual session.
Registration is now open for our spring sessions! Click the session you’d like to attend to register:
Additional program details:
Cost: $2,000. If you are unable to pay via credit card, please contact Maggie Wolff at [email protected].
Commitment: Sessions run for 4 weeks with live classes being held from 10 AM – 4 PM CT on Monday & Tuesday each week.
Class size: Only one participant per organization is allowed in each session. Our class size is a maximum of 48 participants, and at this time is only open to domestic participants (see disclaimers at the bottom of the page for more details).
*Please note, that with all the uncertainty around COVID-19, the Foundation will be running two registration cycles in 2021. We are hopeful that we will be able to resume in-person training in 2021 however, the health and safety of future DE participants is most important in determining how we will offer DE Training next year. Programming details, registration information, and scholarship applications for Fall 2021 DE Training will be shared in early June.
About DE Training
What is the DE Program?
The Credit Union Development Education (DE) Program is the signature program of the Foundation. The mission of the DE Program is to help established and emerging leaders within the credit union movement understand and leverage credit unions’ unique business model to serve members and communities in new and better ways.
Since 1982, over 2,000 credit union advocates from 35 countries have attended the U.S. DE Training to earn their CUDE™ designation. Independent, international DE programs have spun off from the U.S. program. These programs have expanded the global DE alumni network to more than 4,500 individuals worldwide.
What is Development Education?
Development Education is a process dedicated to understanding fundamental barriers that prevent the prosperity of people and communities across the globe. The goal of this process is to encourage individuals and organizations to take actions that promote equity and sustainability for all.
The National Credit Union Foundation has long been a leader in promoting Development Education within the credit union system. The process of Development Education aligns with the mission of credit unions and our shared cooperative principles, and it has helped credit unions to discover new and better ways of serving members and communities.
Who Should Attend?
DE Training is intended for emerging or established leaders from credit unions, system partners and organizations that support credit unions*. Employees from all organizational levels are eligible to attend – from c-suite, to MSRs, accounting or IT folks, marketers and board directors… all are encouraged to attend!
DE Learning Objectives
While many trainings focus on the “what” and “how” of credit union service and operations, the DE Program focuses on exploring the “why”. High-level learning objectives include:
- The Credit Union Difference: Understand how to communicate and leverage credit unions’ unique business model and cooperative principles.
- Development Issues: How to identify and solve for challenges that prevent the financial health and prosperity of the members and communities you serve. Learn more about the 12 Development Issues.
- Empathy & Emotional Intelligence in Banking: How to live out our mission and values while creating a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Upon completing the DE Program, participants earn their Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) Designation which signifies a competency in understanding and applying DE lessons to support credit union members, employees and communities. The designation is available through completing either the in-person or virtual DE Program.
DE: Unlike Other Trainings
DE is a dynamic program where content is arranged to connect learning with experiences and application over the course of training. It relies heavily on individual engagement, group work and a classroom that challenges participants to step outside of their comfort zones. To create this environment, we have the following rules:
Attendees must attend all DE Program sessions. Unless there is a health issue or family/personal emergency, we expect participants to attend all sessions in order to receive their CUDE designation. This is not a “pick and choose” event and attendees should not schedule meetings or maintain work connectivity during DE whether participating in-person or virtually.
Titles are left at the door. All participants are asked to not reveal their titles at DE Training. This creates a level playing field for group dynamics and allows everyone in the class to more easily look at problems and solutions from different angles.
No advanced copies of the agenda are shared. To ensure participants aren’t looking too far ahead at lessons and activities, we do not share a detailed agenda prior to arriving at DE. Though the DE Program schedule can vary depending on the learning environment, participants can expect to remain busy from the beginning to end of each learning day of training with plenty of time for breaks and reflection.
Registration is limited to one person per organization per class. Cooperative learning is at the forefront of DE Training. To optimize the learning environment, one person per organization can attend each session. This allows participants to learn from and engage with as many unique perspectives as possible.
Unique Value
DE is uniquely valuable to…
Participants. The DE Program helps participants to explore their purpose or “why” in credit unions, fostering internal reflection, passion and leadership.
Credit Unions. To win in the marketplace, credit unions need to leverage our purpose to differentiate and better serve our diverse memberships. The DE Program helps participants to understand the cooperative principles and learn to help members overcome challenges using empathy. Participants in the DE Program return to their organizations with renewed passion and desire to innovate and serve members.
System Partners. The DE Program helps participants from system partners understand their connection to the credit union movement and the members that credit unions serve.
Communities. The DE process, learned throughout training, helps participants to build meaningful connections to their community. The DE Program introduces participants to the products, services and development opportunities that communities need and support the good work that credit unions are already doing.
DE Learning Environments
Over its near-40-year history, the U.S. DE Program has proven to be incredibly resilient. It has been hosted across the country at universities, corporate conference centers, remote nature preserves, hotel conference rooms, and monasteries. Activities and experiences have always been shaped around each environment and offered unique learning opportunities.
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In-Person
The in-person DE Training environment is offered in Madison, WI on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Please note, that due to COVID-19, all in-person DE Trainings have been canceled until further notice.
In-person DE Training is an intensive, week-long program, which consists of all classroom learning and engagement. Participants can expect to be in session from 8 AM – 8 PM CST for the duration of training.
Cost: $3,300 (includes meals and lodging)
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Virtual
The virtual DE Training environment will be offered twice in Spring 2021. Over 4 weeks, participants will engage in a mix of on-demand and live learning sessions. The expanded format and timeline will allow for more reflection on lessons and real-world application.
Session 1: March 15 – April 9
Session 2: April 26 – May 21
Live learning sessions will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays between the hours of 10 AM – 4 PM CST for the duration of training.
Cost: $2,000
Inspiring Credit Union Leaders
We inspire credit union professionals to understand their “why” and to leverage the cooperative values and principles to improve their communities.
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Jim Nussle, President/CEO of the Credit Union National AssociationDE Training was well worth my personal investment of time and energy. As we work hard to advocate and build awareness for credit unions, it’s critical that we take time to build our understanding and appreciation of the credit union difference so we can all share that message far and wide.
Get in touch
For more information on the DE Program
Contact Maggie Wolff, Development Education Manager
Maggie works directly with the Director of DE & Cooperative Culture to coordinate and execute the Foundation’s signature DE Program as well as managing DE Alumni relations.
Disclosures
*For international participants: Individuals from outside the U.S. are welcome to participate in in-person training. While virtual programming has many exciting aspects, two of the biggest challenges we face include (1) connecting across different time zones, and (2) ensuring participants have the appropriate level of connection and technologies required for training. Given these issues, we will be hosting our 2021 virtual DE Training sessions with U.S. participants only.
*Limited seating: Each DE Training class, both in-person and virtually, can host up to 48 individuals. Due to limited seating, only one individual per organization can be registered for a single training class.
PLEASE NOTE: Individuals must be from an organization that has (1) a primary purpose to support credit unions or some element of the credit union movement, (2) a significant portion of its ownership or membership from the credit union system and (3) demonstrated a commitment to the purposes of the Foundation. If you have any questions concerning eligibility for DE Training, please contact Maggie Wolff at [email protected] or 608-231- 4078. Non-affiliates and non-system representations will pay the posted non-member registration fee.
CANCELLATION POLICY: All cancellations must be received in writing. Please provide a brief explanation for the cancellation and submit via email to [email protected]. Cancellations received more than 30 days prior to the event are subject to a 25% administrative fee on the registration total. No refunds will be granted for cancellations received on or after 30 days prior to the event. Substitutions are accepted prior to the start of the program. Additional costs may apply. Please provide the CUDE training date, current participant name and new participant name to [email protected].