VyStar Credit Union Expands Award-Winning Academy of Business Program with 20th High School Branch, Opening in Brevard County

VyStar Credit Union is proud to announce the upcoming opening of its 20th VyStar Academy of Business High School Branch, scheduled for August 2026 at Melbourne High School in Brevard County. The School Board for Brevard Public Schools approved the strategic educational partnership in August, marking a significant milestone in VyStar’s ongoing commitment to empower students with financial education, career readiness, and real-world experience.
 
Since 2006, VyStar’s Academy of Business High School Branch Program has become a cornerstone of youth empowerment. The award-winning initiative has provided more than 2,200 paid internship opportunities and delivered financial education to more than 156,000 high school students, preparing the next generation to make informed financial decisions and build strong futures. The Melbourne High School student-run branch will offer students hands-on banking experience, customer service training and paid internships. Under the guidance career and technical educators and VyStar personnel, students will manage day-to-day branch operations gaining real-world insights into banking and customer service that extend far beyond the classroom.
 
As part of VyStar’s commitment to supporting local schools, the High School Debit Card Giveback Program enables community members to show school pride while giving back. For every purchase made with a VyStar high school mascot branded debit card, VyStar donates five cents to the corresponding school, up to $10,000 annually. Since launching the High School Debit Card Giveback Program in 2022, VyStar has donated more than $90,000 to participating schools. A Melbourne High School Bulldogs branded debit card will be available this fall, offering students, families, and alumni a meaningful way to support their school while promoting financial education and school spirit.
 
“Opening our 20^th Academy of Business High School Branch at Melbourne High School represents more than growth – it reflects our ongoing investment in students, families and the future of Brevard Count,” said Lysa Barbano, VyStar Credit Union SVP, Market President. “At VyStar we believe one of the most impactful ways we can contribute to the future is by expanding educational opportunities that build skills, confidence, and long-term success.”

With the addition of Melbourne High School, VyStar continues to help students build brighter futures and expand its legacy of innovation, community investment and youth empowerment. In August 2025, the program was featured in U.S. News & World Report. Last month, the program received the 2025 Ragan Corporate Social Responsibility Award in the Education or Scholarship Program category, further affirming its national impact and excellence in youth financial education.
 
For more information about VyStar’s High School Branch Program, visit vystarcu.org.
 
###
 
About VyStar Credit Union 
VyStar Credit Union is the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida, with 78 full-service branches across Florida and Georgia, 1 million members and assets of over $14 billion. VyStar is the top mortgage lender in Northeast Florida and a major employer in the region with over 2,300 employees across the communities it serves. VyStar membership is open to everyone who lives or works in the 49 contiguous counties of Central to North Florida, 29 Georgia counties, and past and present military members and their families all over the world. VyStar members have access to 55,000 surcharge free ATMs worldwide. For more information, visit vystarcu.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram,  X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.