Control Your Money is a free, unbranded, interactive Web site that is intended to develop a basic understanding of financial matters among 10-15-year olds and to give their teachers resources to teach financial literacy. The site was developed in 2009 and rolled-out to pupils and teachers in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway in 2010.
A survey that we conducted in co-operation with the YouGov Zapera research institute shows that some 93% of 10-15 year olds in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Northern Ireland and Ireland receive pocket money and have their own mobile phones. Around 43% of them have used their mobile phones for purchases. These numbers clearly indicate that young children handle money regularly. Fortunately, 84% of them also think it would be interesting to learn about money at school.
Control Your Money was developed on the basis of the national mathematics and personal finance curricula for schools in six countries. The site contains eight missions that challenge students on financial and mathematical issues that are already part of the curricula. The tasks include completing a budget, prioritising purchases and solving arithmetic problems. In addition to the eight missions, in “the Real Deal” section, students can also create an actual class project, such as a class trip, a party or a charity project. This enables them to take their financial knowledge from fiction to reality.
Visit the Control Your Money Web site
Birgitte Tufte, Head of Children Research, Copenhagen Business School:
"Financial Literacy is a new and very important concept seen in relation to the consumer and marketing society of today. The material of "Control Your Money" created by Danske Bank is extremely important, entertaining and relevant in order to give children and young people insight in financial issues and the value of money."
We developed Control Your Money in cooperation with external specialists in education, mathematics, media and child psychology.
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Last updated February 10, 2011