Water and Power Community Credit Union of Los Angeles will help send a lucky teen to tryouts for the popular TV show “America’s Got Talent” as part of its campaign to raise awareness of teens actively taking responsibly and ownership over their financial future.

Ricky Garcia, 18, of New Mexico, won the chance to travel to “America’s Got Talent” tryouts during a talent competition spearheaded by Claim Your Youth, a national organization challenging young people to showcase their financial viability to the world. Using grassroots efforts, they educate about the financial credit union culture, i.e. Financial CULTURE, entrepreneurship, and advocacy for teens and young adults in credit unions. WPCCU will host Garcia and has sponsored his hotel while he’s in L.A.

Garcia, a singer, tried his luck at the “America’s Got Talent” audition on Feb. 8.

WPCCU participates in the Claim Your Youth program as part of its ongoing campaign to empower teens participating in and becoming agents of change in credit unions. The credit union offers teen checking and savings, as well as a co-branded website developed by Claim Your Youth specifically for its teen members.

“Credit unions provide resources to help young people like Ricky prepare to deal with the financial challenges that come their way as they go to school, get jobs, and make careers,” said WPCCU vice president of Marketing Celeste Zibelli. “As a participant in the Claim Your Youth program, we celebrate Ricky, and all he has achieved.”

Water and Power Community Credit Union was established in 1936 by 10 employees of the city’s water and power utility. It now has about 34,000 members and serves people who work or reside in many of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s service areas.

Claim Your Youth is a program that empowers teens through engaged financial education, mentorship, in real world experience to change the Financial CULTURE and continue the credit union philosophy of “People helping People.”