MakingCents

Starting financial education from an early age is key to setting good foundations for the future. MakingCents is a personal financial resource for primary school teachers and includes teaching resources, teacher professional development and a complementary program for parents.

The MakingCents program aims to ensure children learn at any early age the fundamentals of financial management, the difference between needs and wants and the importance of saving and minimising debt.

The Making Cents program not only aims to help students, but also encourages families to support their children's learning at home through a complementary program for parents. The MakingCents for Parents program provides information and practical ideas parents can introduce at home to expand their children's school knowledge and experience.

The MakingCents website www.makingcents.com.au has tips, hints and resources for parents and teachers to reinforce financial education.

MakingCents is a unique program in that materials have been matched to curricula of each state and territory. The MakingCents program has been delivered to over 3000 teachers across Australia through a teacher professional development program. Teachers report a very positive response from their students in their classrooms and highlight how important this learning is for the younger age group.

Hip Pocket

Young people today are a major target group for advertisers and marketers. They are encouraged to spend their money not only through conventional advertising channels but also through more subtle ways such as through mobile phones, reality television shows and the internet. As vulnerable consumers, it's important to give young people the education and tools to make informed choices and to avoid debt. This is where Hip Pocket comes in.

Hip Pocket is a one day, interactive and engaging financial education workshop, available to both boys and girls in years 10 and 11. Hip Pocket is designed to challenge student's thinking about managing money and the many ways marketers target young people as consumers. Hip Pocket provides students with skills and tools that enable them to making informed decisions about their spending actions and potential consequences.