Get money savvy with Financial Literacy Program
Financial literacy is an important life skill that all children need to learn, which is why we’ve partnered with the University of Newcastle to present the Greater Bank Finance Academy.
Meet Cath & Ash
As program Ambassadors, Cath and Ash, will be visiting high schools on the Central Coast in the coming months to use their real-life banking experience to deliver practical and relevant content around money management, savings strategies and how to make informed financial decisions. Cath and Ash explain why they got involved and what they’re enjoying most about being part of the program.
What prompted you to become a Financial Academy Ambassador?
Cath – I am involved in a number of community partnerships within Greater Bank. I was approach to see if I would be interested and I jumped at the opportunity. To be able to help educate the young people of today is so important.
Ash - It was put to me as part of another Greater initiative that builds up aspiring leaders in the business. I was completing my Supervisor to Branch Manager training & the Finance Academy was put to us as an option to build on people skills, communication/presentation skills and the most important part, helping to build young people’s relationship and understanding of finance.
Why is financial literacy important to you?
Ash & Cath - Too often as lenders in the business do we hear the incorrect information of “you need to get a credit card to get a credit score” or people not realising that Buy Now Pay Later services like ZipPay impact their credit file.
By providing these life lessons early on we are hopefully setting up young people to have a good relationship with their finances.
What have you enjoyed most about delivering the program?
Ash & Cath - The level of engagement! From the younger grades to year 12 they’re still engaged and asking questions. The questions vary given age - as does the way we present. This is needed to keep it as valid and relatable to the age group we have in front of us.
What was your financial literacy ‘ah-ha’ moment?
Ash - When going over the lessons in our induction, it really made me think back to when I was at school and acknowledge that these lessons are going to provide life lessons that schools do not cover.
Cath – I have a daughter who I will be teaching these lessons too and it’s easy for me as I’m in the industry. I want to be able to set as many kids up as I can with this knowledge and give them the best head start to their future.
Want to get involved?
Want one of the Finance Academy Ambassadors to visit your teenager's high school for FREE to develop their financial literacy skills?
Here's how you can encourage your school to get involved in the Greater Bank Finance Academy:
Express your interest
- Parents can send this website to your child's school to inform them of the program: www.greater.com.au/uon
- High schools express their interest by emailing FinanceAcademy@newcastle.edu.au
- The University of Newcastle will provide further information and coordinate all logistics with the school
Content is Supplied
- The University of Newcastle will supply all lesson content to the teacher. This includes 4 core lessons, plus up to 3 electives chosen at school's discretion
- Teachers deliver lessons 1 and 3, plus any electives chosen
UoN and Greater Bank visit your school
- University of Newcastle and Greater Bank Ambassadors present lessons 2 and 4
- Ambassadors challenge students to think differently and provide real world examples of financial literacy in action!
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