This project aims to address two key essentials for students in our modern society. One is an ability to manage money wisely. The other is a capacity to appreciate the difficulties people experience who are trying to manage on very limited incomes due to poverty and disadvantage We have developed a pilot financial literacy course for teenagers (15 -17 yr olds) that will teach them the basic financial skills to save, spend, budget and manage their finances wisely. Additional Units may be added in the future to cover over financial topics such as credit, loans and Superannuation. Community awareness and empathy for the struggling are achieved when students are, as part of the course, presented with a scenario whereby they become someone on low income seeking to achieve a budget in their very limited financial situation.
Program:
Concept – An Introductory training course on financial literacy that would assist young teenagers to develop a better understanding of spending, budgeting and managing their finances, with a view to helping them take control of their lives and understand the social impact of living on a low-income/government pension.
Target Audience – Secondary students in Year 8 that are interested in improving their financial literacy
Key Influencers – Secondary College to commit to allow students to participate in the training; Parents of students to support the students and allow them to help draft a family budget; Endeavor Ministries to provide the facilities, trainers and materials
Training – Conduct a financial literacy course over two 2-hour sessions over 2 weeks at the Andrews Centre, with the objective of the students developing a budget for a Case Study family on the Centrelink income.
The Training Course would be broken up into 2 Units as follows:
- Unit 1 – Financial Literacy Overview (2 Hours) – Pocket Money, “Needs vs Wants”, Saving goals, Spending and Budgeting, Case Study – Developing a Budget for a young family with both parents on Centrelink/Newstart and 2 children at school.
- Unit 2 – Budgets and Saving (2 Hours) – Student presentations of Budgest, Avoiding the “Low Income Welfare Trap”, Earning extra income, Helping your family with spending, saving and developing and implementing a Family Budget
Contact: The Andrews Centre to book
(picture from: https://www.insynergy.net.au/insights/financial-literacy-property-wealth/)