Financial education for youth – applied implementation project 2400-ZEWW1027

The aim of the course is to develop students’ socio-entrepreneurial competencies through diagnosing and solving a real socio-economic problem – the low level of financial literacy among young people in Poland. According to research by the National Bank of Poland (2023), only 14% of upper-secondary school students can correctly explain the concept of inflation, and over 60% do not understand how deposit and loan interest works. OECD data (PISA 2022) confirm that Polish students score below the OECD average in financial literacy. This lack of knowledge results in difficulties with household budgeting, increasing debt among young adults, and low levels of economic awareness in society.

The project will be implemented as an elective course functioning as a “live social laboratory,” in which students of WNE UW diagnose the real educational needs of upper-secondary school students and design and implement educational solutions in practice. Students will prepare and deliver original financial education lessons directly in schools and create educational materials in the form of interviews with financial experts, thus addressing the identified competency gaps of young people.

The project combines teaching activities (with WNE lecturers as well as practitioners from outside the university) with intensive project work under the guidance of tutors (from UW and external practitioners) and an implementation component carried out in cooperation with educational institutions and partners from the financial sector.

Proposed thematic scope:
• Diagnosis of financial education challenges in Poland – analysis of data, reports, and identification of the needs of school-aged youth
• Basics of personal finance adapted to the age and needs of upper-secondary school students
• Investment education for young people – safe investing, portfolio diversification, identifying financial fraud
• Cybersecurity in finance
• Economic communication strategies and storytelling in financial education
• Methodology of designing and conducting educational activities for young people
• Digital and multimedia tools in financial education (gamification, educational video, social media)
• Techniques for conducting expert interviews and creating educational materials
• Soft skills for educators – communication, classroom management, motivating students
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of educational activities

Expected outcome: Students will complete a comprehensive implementation project consisting of: (1) conducting an interview with an expert from the financial sector, (2) delivering an original trial lesson in financial education in a school (minimum one lesson per student), (3) gaining practical training experience and developing socio-entrepreneurial competencies.

Type of course

optional courses

Mode

Remote learning
Field classes
Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Students enrolled in second-cycle (Master’s) Economics programs who are interested in developing socio-entrepreneurial, teaching, communication, and mentoring competencies.

Course coordinators

Agnieszka Różycka

Learning outcomes

Knowledge – the student:
• possesses knowledge of contemporary socio-economic problems related to financial literacy among young people in Poland and understands their social and economic consequences,
• understands the methods and tools for diagnosing the educational needs of young people in the area of personal finance,
• knows methods for designing and implementing educational activities tailored to the specific characteristics of upper-secondary school students,
• understands basic concepts related to personal finance management, building an investment portfolio, diversification in investing, and cybersecurity in finance, at a level enabling them to convey this knowledge to young people,
• knows the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating implementation-oriented projects in the field of education,
• possesses knowledge of methods of effective educational communication with young people and of building engaging narratives in the area of finance.

Skills – the student:
• can diagnose the actual educational needs of a target group and design implementation activities based on them,
• can design, prepare, and independently conduct educational classes in finance for young people using innovative digital tools,
• can conduct an interview with a financial expert, perform substantive research, analyze the information obtained, and prepare a recording to be used as an educational resource,
• can effectively communicate complex economic knowledge in an accessible and engaging way for school-aged youth,
• can manage the implementation of a project from the diagnostic phase, through design and implementation, to evaluation,
• can assess the effectiveness of educational activities and formulate development recommendations.

Socio-entrepreneurial competencies (key):
• The student is prepared to act as a financial educator and mentor in school and local communities,
• can identify socio-economic problems and initiate and implement projects aimed at solving them,
• can effectively collaborate with financial-sector experts, teachers, NGOs, and educational institutions,
• can independently initiate, plan, and carry out projects with social and practical value,
• is aware of their role in building civil society and their responsibility for developing financial competencies within the local community,
• demonstrates an entrepreneurial and innovative attitude toward educational and social challenges.

Digital competencies:
• The student can use digital tools to create educational materials (video recordings, multimedia presentations, interactive resources),
• can effectively use social media and digital platforms as channels for distributing financial knowledge,
• possesses the ability to critically assess digital information sources and use them in educational projects

Assessment criteria

To pass the course, students must obtain at least 60% of the total number of points. The final grade consists of:
– active participation in lectures and tutoring,
– completion of an expert interview,
– preparation and delivery of a trial lesson (credit project),
– presentation of project results and developmental reflection.

Additionally, as part of the ZIP 2.0 Program, completing a pre-test and a post-test is mandatory for every student.

Bibliography

Lusardi, A. & Mitchell, O. S. (2014). The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy. Journal of Economic Literature.

OECD (2020/2022). OECD/INFE Toolkit for Measuring Financial Literacy + PISA Financial Literacy Assessment Framework. OECD Publishing.

OECD, NBP, and KNF reports.

Lecturers’, experts’, and financial practitioners’ own materials.

Notes

Term 2025L:

Part of the course is held in a classroom (in person), part online, and part in the field (in financial institutions and upper-secondary schools).

The course is implemented in close cooperation with an external partner – the Financial Education Foundation for Children and Youth Trampki na Giełdzie, with the participation of upper-secondary schools from Warsaw and surrounding areas, as well as financial-sector practitioners acting as experts.

Social groups involved in the course:
– upper-secondary school students (recipients of the trial lessons),
– teachers participating in the trial lessons,
– NGOs and educational institutions working in the area of financial education.

The project is implemented in a “live social laboratory” model, combining theoretical knowledge with the practical implementation of educational solutions. The program comprises a total of 150 hours of student workload. Mandatory in-person teaching sessions will be held once a week (30 hours).

Teaching classes (60 hours, including 30 hours in person):
• 30 hours with WNE UW staff – theoretical foundation: methods for diagnosing socio-economic problems, management of implementation projects, methodology for assessing educational needs, substantive knowledge in personal finance and investment education,
• 30 hours with external practitioners – workshops delivered by representatives of financial institutions, financial educators, and media communication specialists. Topics include: best practices in financial education for young people, storytelling in finance, conducting expert interviews, digital tools, and soft skills for educators.

Project work, including individual tutoring and work on the project (individually or in small student teams), totals 45 hours per student.

Individual tutoring (15 hours per student):
• 11 hours with WNE UW staff – support in preparing the project concept, lesson plan, interview plan, evaluation activities, and developmental reflection,
• 4 hours with external practitioners – expert consultations: adapting content to youth-friendly communication, digital tools, teaching techniques, preparation of video materials.

Project work (30 hours):
• Diagnostic phase – analysis of data on the financial literacy of young people, consultations with teachers at partner schools, identification of educational needs,
• Design phase – development of the lesson plan and interview plan, preparation of teaching materials,
• Implementation phase – delivery of one trial lesson by each student in an upper-secondary school (recorded), as well as conducting and recording an interview with a financial expert,
• Evaluation phase – analysis of the recorded lesson with a tutor, assessment of the effectiveness of the activities, developmental reflection.

Student independent work (45 hours): preparation for classes, development of educational materials, substantive research, video editing, project documentation, self-assessment and developmental reflection.

Summary workshops: presentation of project outcomes, exchange of experiences, feedback from external partners on the practical value of the implemented activities.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2400-ZEWW1027 in USOSweb