Cross curricular collaboration for improving students financial literacy skills using games

"<< Background >>Due to the complexity of the financial markets, ageing European population and development of the digital world that makes money practically virtual, young people are in a vulnerable situation, and financial literacy is a vital skill. However, most of students do not receive financial education before joining the labour force. The latest youth financial literacy statistics provide clear evidence of the growing need to raise awareness about personal finance topics around the world. The latest research (2018) of the OECD‘s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessed the financial literacy of 15 years old students. A survey found that 22.3 percent of respondents did not learn fundamental financial skills that are often applied in everyday situations, such as building a simple budget, comparison shopping, and understanding an invoice. Schools are well positioned to teach students what they may not be able to learn from their parents or by themselves, however PISA data reveal that 38% of the variation in financial literacy is not explained by mathematics or reading skills, many features of financial literacy are unique to the subject. From all this and practical direct observations the idea of the project raised.<< Objectives >>The project aimed to improve special needs and other students at risk of social exclusion financial literacy knowledge and skills for strengthening their social inclusion by enhancing cross-curricular and interdisciplinary collaboration in school education and promoting experiential, game-based and social simulation teaching methods and tools. The specific project objectives: -Raise awareness on the benefits of financial literacy knowledge and skills and and equip over 12000 students from special learning and mixed schools with useful knowledge, skills, involvement and self-determination by developing workshop and photo exhibition guidelines for financial and entrepreneurial skills based on real-case simulation techniques. -Raise awareness, increase competence and equip about 10000 teachers and educators from special education and mixed schools by providing them creative, effective, game-based methodology in financial literacy skills consisting in a training package - curriculum and training materials, best practice collection and and stories of successful personal financial management for special needs students.<< Implementation >>The FINGO activities that the consortium implemented are the creation and piloting of the 4 work packages resulting in the following expected tangible results: - the attractive and interactive game-based training curriculum and learning materials for the ”Financial Literacy Skills using games in Special Education” for teachers, curriculum and the curriculum content piloted internationally in Cyprus and tested locally in each partner country; -a ""Best practices and stories collection of successful personal financial management for special needs students"" for improving the self-confidence, communication skills and creativity of participants and help their social inclusion, personal and professional development; - ""Guidelines for financial and entrepreneurial skills workshops and exhibition based on real-case simulation techniques for special needs students"" which offers them the opportunity to practice financial literacy and basic entrepreneurial skills.Two supplementary materials have been created and implemented, an attractive interactive online version of the ""Best practices and stories collection for special education students"" and a promotional material in an interactive online version for the project and especially its products.The new interdisciplinary training curriculum and learning materials in ""Financial Literacy Skills using games in Special Education"" was piloted with 23 visitor teachers internationally, and 97 teachers locally.”I am a financially successful person!”-guidelines for financial and entrepreneurial skills workshops and exhibition based on real-case simulation techniques was created and piloted with 333 students from the 6 countries. A school awareness dissemination campaign organized in the 6 countries, included in the dissemination plan as ongoing activity, in special and mixed schools, addressing to students and teachers in social media, schools, families highlighting the benefits of financial literacy skills for a better social inclusion. Four TPMs meetings and one LTT took place in order to ensure effective management and quality of the results. Four other online official management meetings and other communications have been organized on a monthly/2 months basis, according also to the needs.A project website, and Facebook account, 6 multiplier events with 331 live students, teachers and stakeholders, as local participants and 63 participants in virtual events; about 500 stakeholders from the partner countries have been informed about project results, about 30000 students and teachers from special learning and mixed schools were finally informed about the project and its outputs from all over Europe. FINGO project through its results increased the cross curricular and interdisciplinary collaboration in school education and so increased innovation, adaptability, practical learning, critical thinking, the use of gamification in learning in order to make it more attractive and efficient, improved also the special needs students' financial literacy skills in order to considerably contribute to their welfare in life, increased employability, and finally increased their socio-professional inclusion chances on long term.The FINGO project results can be accessed freely here: https://fingo-financial-literacy.blogspot.com/p/results.html<< Results >>FINGO provided special needs teachers and students a new interdisciplinary training curriculum and learning materials, PR1 and PR2, in ”Financial Literacy Skills using games in Special Education” piloted with 23 visitor teachers, excluding the host, internationally and 97 teachers locally, PR3 - ""Best practices and stories collection of successful personal financial management"" as a digital book. PR4- ”I am a financially successful person!”-guidelines for financial and entrepreneurial skills workshops and exhibition based on real-case simulation techniques piloted with 333 students from the 6 countries An awareness dissemination campaign plan, organized in the 6 countries in special and mixed schools, addressing to students and teachers in social media, schools, families highlighting the benefits of financial literacy skills for a better social inclusion. A project website, and Facebook account, 6 multiplier events with 331 live students, teachers and stakeholders, as local participants and 63 participants in virtual events; 500 stakeholders from the partner countries have been informed about project results, about 72130 people, including teachers and students were finally informed about the project and its outputs from all over Europe through all dissemination means involved. Four newsletters have been created and used in dissemination after major events, TPMs/LTT/ME, 2 per project year.Two supplementary materials has been created and implemented, an attractive interactive online version of the PR3- ""Best practices and stories collection for special education students"" and a promotional material in an interactive online version for the project and especially its products, in all languages.FINGO results are freely accessible and can be used in a variety of educational and supportive contexts, also the results are flexible and can be used entirely or just selected sections or exercises depending on the needs.They can be accessed here: https://fingo-financial-literacy.blogspot.com/p/results.html"