National financial education activities

Albania 

  • Open lectures at the universities: experts from member banks of the Albanian Association of Banks (AAB) enable students from different universities to become familiar with the most important and current concepts of finance and banking through interactive lectures.
  • “International Economic Olympics”: AAB in cooperation with Virtus Excellence Center organize the Economic National Olympics with high school graduates. The event takes place in three phases: during the first and second stages, a national competition takes place and five winners from these stages represent Albania in the world competition between 45 countries.
  • “Savings Game Day”: as a celebration of the International Savings Game, held on 31st of October, AAB organizes an event in which participants have the opportunity to understand basic financial concepts while playing a very interactive game.
  • Information campaign on Cybersecurity: one-month information campaign through which videos, articles have been published on different TV, newspapers in order to raise cybersecurity awareness.
  • “First steps in finance”: a book that serves as basic reading for all ninth graders who participate in the annual Money Quiz organized by AAB. This book has been translated into Albanian and it’s available on the official website of AAB.
  • Awareness campaign on card payments: aims to raise awareness of the benefits in using debit and credit card payments

Austria

Czech Republic

  • European Money Quiz – a pan-European competition whose goal is to improve the financial literacy of 13 to 15-year-old students. The competition in the Czech Republic takes place in two phases. First as a competition within individual classes, then the two best pupils or students from each participating class participates in the national round of the competition. The finalists advance to the pan-European final.
  • The educational project “Bankers to schools” is based on a personal meeting of experts from banks with pupils and students attending the 8th or 9th grade of primary school or the 1st or 2nd year of secondary school, including gymnasiums . The aim of the project is to develop pupils’ general knowledge in the field of personal finance management and cyber security.
  • The educational video-series “Bankovkovi” realized with Czech Television aimed at (school) children, the aim of which is to teach children how to manage money in an entertaining way.
  • Educational website 

France

  • “I invite a banker in my class“: 100 000 pupils have participated since 2015.
  • “Keys of the bank“: In a simple and educational language, this totally free programme offers a better understanding of banking on a daily basis and makes it easy for individuals, entrepreneurs, and social actors to find answers to their questions. “Keys of the Bank” has been running since 2004 and it helps over 2 million people every year. It includes free information and numerous tools, easily available, to help the public understand everyday banking (website, mini-guides, letter templates, accounting tables).
  • With other partners FBF developed 2 mobile apps “Pilote Budget” “Pilote Dépenses”.
  • All the French initiatives, only if free and neutral, are listed on the website of the operator of the national strategy, the Bank of France.

Germany

  • “Money at School” is focused on helping teachers with explanatory films; podcasts and interactive smart board slides. To test the acquired knowledge, it also provides the teacher with exercises, quizzes, crossword puzzles and activities.
  • “This is Money” is a programme about money issues (e.g. use, loans, pensions, accounts, etc.). PowerPoint presentations cover digital, interactive, and fun lessons for pupils (10 -14 years old), who can use their mobile phones for research, discussions, ad hoc surveys or word clouds.
  • Digital Newsletter: The Association of German Banks regularly provides teachers with information on financial education opportunities and pedagogic resources, such as articles on recent economic events or teaching material for the teachers to easily integrate into their lessons. The newsletter has over 9000 subscribers.
  • Schulbanker: A school competition and a business game for students who, in small groups, lead their virtual bank through different markets.

Greece

  • “National Competition on Money”: it targets 13-15 year old students in gymnasium and high schools all over Greece. The Hellenic Banking Association is leading the activity with the approval of the Ministry of Education.
  • “Save your money, saving earth”: an educational game which presents and offers practical advice regarding the ways in which personal choices in matters related to the environment and natural resources (such as waste management, household energy saving, rational water consumption or transportation cost reduction) can have a significant money-saving effect.

Hungary

  • “Big Student Finance Test”: television quiz contest by The Ministry of Economic Development (head organiser). It targets young people aged 14-19, in the framework for financial literacy on topics such as saving, investing, insurance and cyber security.
  • “MoneyRace”: outdoor adventure game offers exciting financial-mathematic puzzles by the Money Compass Foundation. It targets students and their teachers in grades 4-14. The team game, which can be played in more than 160 locations across the country, offers students the chance to solve interesting financial puzzles in easily accessible locations, moving from station to station.
  • “BankCode competition”: a four-round national financial team competition by the Money Compass Foundation and the Money Museum of Hungary. It targets students secondary school students, for teams of 3 students, with 1 coach. Teams must indicate whether they are registering from a secondary school or a vocational school, and will then compete in that branch. Teams will be supported by the Money Compass Foundation’s textbooks, Green Compass app, webinars and e-learning materials.
  • “Digital Sniffing Challenge”: online quiz challenge with prize drawing on Kahoot organized by the Hungarian Banking Association and National Cyber Protection Institute. It’s an opportunity for everyone, regardless of age, to test their digital security skills, linked to EMQ practices.
  • “The BankVelem MoneySmart Cup”: national financial literacy competition for upper primary school students organized by the Money Compass Foundation. It targets upper primary school children.
  • “StockRace”: free online stock market game by the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE) and the Money Compass Foundation, which gives the opportunity to try the exciting world of the stock market. It targets students from grades 7 to 14, who can test their investment skills with virtual capital and real shares. The game is available on the BSE website.
  • “Innovation Challenge”: 2-day entrepreneurial mindsets competition on a real-world social or business problem to solve by the Junior Achievement Hungary Foundation. It targets secondary school students, who have to propose a solution to expose them to economic and social problems, to which they will seek answers with the mentoring of consultant business experts.
  • “CyberSHIELD”: The Protection In Finance programme lead by the Hungarian Banking Association, the Hungarian National Bank, the Ministry of Justice, the Hungarian Police Department, the National Security Service and more regulatory authorities. The aim is informing, educating and raising awareness among customers the knowledge of financial cyber security.

Ireland 

  • “FraudSMART“: a fraud awareness initiative developed by Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) in conjunction with member banks like Allied Irish Bank plc, An Post, Avant Money, Bank of Ireland, Barclays Bank Ireland, KBC Bank Ireland, PermanentTSB and Ulster Bank. Launched in October 2017, the campaign aims to raise consumer and business awareness of the latest financial fraud activity and trends and provide simple and impartial advice on how best they can protect themselves and their resources.
  • “Chief Economists Webinar“: BPFI will host its 7th annual Chief Economists Webinar in March 2024. This is a fantastic opportunity for students in the Leaving Cert cycle (16-18 year olds) to gain insights from Ireland’s top economists ahead of their exams.

Italy

  • In 2023 the Italian Banking Association organized about 25 events ranging from digital payments to sustainability. The plan is to do the same in 2024.

Latvia

  • “Pension Week”: usually held in late November/early December, it focuses on preparing early for retirement and accumulating savings. It targets young people and all the activities are digital.
  • Financial Literacy Week: it takes place during the European Money Week and is led by Bank of Latvia. Finance Latvia supports the implementation of online financial literacy quizzes and social media communication. 

Liechtenstein

  • “Banking 4 you – debt prevention for graduating classes” At four stations, experts from the LBA and its member banks and the Hand in Hand counselling office provide young people between the ages of 14 and 18 with a wide range of useful information on the topics of budget, debt traps, account types and payment methods, and financing options. 

Lithuania

  • The Ministry of Finance prepared a national public financial education plan (2024-2028) and the Lithuanian Banking Association (LBA) will be actively involved in it after its confirmed.
  • “Lithuanian public financial literacy index”: every two year the LBA conducts a survey and estimates Lithuanian public financial literacy index.
  • “National financial literacy exam”: organized by the LBA together with other partners, it targets all age groups.
  • “Recognize a scammer“: the aim of the project is to actively inform public about new methods that fraudsters use in Lithuania. In 2023 LBA created two videos with Lithuanian influencers explaining the most popular fraud schemes.

Luxembourg

Malta

  • Financial education competition targeting primary and secondary schools.
  • Headteachers’ and Teachers’ Professional Development Training on financial skills.
  • “Be Wise, Pay Smart”: a program which targets vulnerable groups (Prince’s Trust Group).
  • “Be Money Smart”: organzied by the Ministry of Education and the Central Bank of Malta, aims to educate students about money.

Poland

  •  “Bankers for Education”:  held by the Warsaw Institute of Banking (WIB) and initiated by the biggest banks in Poland, it is divided into a dozen of projects dedicated to different target group. It has reached over 2,5 million since 2016,.
  • Congress of Financial Education. Main topics are: personal budget, saving, bank products, cybersecurity, investments, ESG
  • “The Official Year of Financial Education”: WIB, in collaboration with 5 different NGO, started this project for 2024 in Poland which has been approved by the highest public authorities.
  • WIB is the main organiser of the biggest conference in Poland related to financial literacy and cooperation among different stakeholders.

Portugal

  • “Financial Literacy Program for Schools”: lectures for students between 13 and 18 years old.
  • Digital Literacy Program for elderly.
  • Training Programs on financial topics for journalist.
  • Financial literacy books: learning material for children and students.
  • “Saber de Contas“: website dedicated to financial literacy.

Romania

  • “Financial education in schools”: Starting with the school year 2020-2021, financial education became a mandatory discipline for the 8th grade students in Romania, being included in the school discipline “Social Education”.
  • “Banking Education and Competence for Teachers”:  launched in 2018, it’s a course on financial and banking education dedicated to the teachers of Romania, with a view to understand and deepen their knowledge on key concepts related to the working of banking sectors, knowledge that will be disseminated among students during counselling, economics and financial/entrepreneurial education classes. To date, the banking community has contributed to the direct training of 25 series of teachers starting with the year 2021; by consequence, tens of thousands of students have been trained on financial education.
  • “Online Security” The Romanian Association of Banks together with the Romanian Police and the National Cyber Security Directorate launched this national project with the aim to raise citizens’ awareness and protect them against online fraud. The project includes, among others, online and on-site events as well as presence on TV channels and in the social media.

Serbia

  • The Association of Serbian Banks organizes lectures and workshops in schools throughout the year.

Spain

  • “Tus Finanzas, Tu Futuro”: the financial education program of the Spanish Banking Association. In occasion of the 10th anniversary, the CEOs of the main Spanish and foreign participating banks will give a lecture in a school.
  • Radio campaign: Messages on cybersecurity broadcasted on national radio stations.

Turkey

  • Seminars for elderly: The Banks Association of Turkey partners with bankers and experts in organizing local seminars for elderly. Experts deliver presentations and videos on how to use digital banking, mobile banking and how to avoid scams.