For the 11th year HSBC Global has partnered with Junior Achievement Worldwide to deliver a financial literacy and entrepreneurship programme to 11-12 year olds. Aptly named More than Money, students use innovative thinking to learn money-management skills that support positive attitudes as they explore and enhance their career aspirations and their understanding of entrepreneurship.
In Ireland, 1,700 students have participated in More Than Money through in-class programmes and workshops with 70 volunteers from many of our supporting organisations since the beginning of the academic year.
In November and then again in March, students from St. Patrick’s Boys National School and Presentation Primary School, George’s Hill descended into HSBC offices at Grand Canal for a morning of financial literacy and entrepreneurship activities. Volunteers learning almost as much as students about being a SMART consumer, entrepreneurial skills, and saving, earning, and spending their well-earned money.
Liz Costello, a teacher inPresentation Primary School said “The girls very much enjoyed the workshop and the interactions with the staff. It was a great experience for the pupils to learn outside of the school environment. As a DEIS school, it exposed them to a different experience and enabled them to work to their best ability.”
Students started off by deciding they should save up to donate money to charity, help the homeless, buy presents for their parents or spend all their money on sweets! Competitiveness came out in droves as students played the More Than Money monopoly style board game, totted up their bingo scores, and created their own successful company.
A student from St. Patrick’s Boys National School best summarised the experience: “The volunteers were very nice and it was very enjoyable. Thank You to Junior Achievement Ireland and HSBC Bank.”
