Financial literacy day sponsored by Shin Kong Life Foundation

By Kathleen Xie

In the spring of 2023, our Taiwan chapter partnered with the nonprofit organization Shin Kong Life Foundation to teach underserved elementary school students in HsinChu, Taiwan. This grand event – consisting of around 70 elementary school students and 29 volunteers from Wego High School in Taipei – kicked off with colorful posters, customized T-shirts, lively activities, prizes, and more. Students learned about budgeting, saving, credit management, and investment. When teaching these financial topics, the Taiwan FLY team got creative and incorporated a variety of fun games into their curriculum. Shi Kong Foundation also sponsored a book called Money for Beginners by Eddie Reynolds for after-school teachers to read to the students every week starting 3 months prior to the event.  By the time the students attended the FLY event, they were already were equipped with basic knowledge about budgeting rules, saving, banking, credit management and basic investment concepts.  Below are a few highlights of their fun day:

A Monopoly Special

The FLY team designed their own Monopoly game for students to play and learn about income, life choices, and career choices.

A "Who wants to be a Millionaire" Spinoff

They also designed a "Who wants to be a Millionaire" styled game for students to answer questions. The winning team received piggy bank awards to encourage them to start saving.

A Squid Game Reenactment

They wore squid game wardrobes and designed a competition to answer financial literacy questions.  Winners were awarded with prizes! Those who lost were still alive.

Avatar Fun

Each student got to choose their own Avatar to mask their face and be featured in a video to discuss ways of saving money, their needs vs wants, etc.

Feedback:

After the class, students expressed their positive feedback toward the event:

“Thank you for leading us to explore financial literacy, we are more confident in taking control over our own finances at a young age!”

“It's fun!”

“It motivated me to save more money!”

“I now learn how to apply this concept to real life!”

Statistics about the background of these students:

Immigrant labor family: 19.35%

Single parent: 38.4%

Domestic violence: 12.9%

Emotional disability: 3%

Learning disability: 16%

Raised by grandparents: 6.45%

Statistics about student feedback:

87.9% were satisfied with the overall class

93.15% loved the games

86.29% liked the video making 

84.27% liked the financial literacy reading led by teachers in the after-school program

66.13% said they are inspired by FLY to the world's initiatives