WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao – This month, the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten’s (CBCS) organized its first Financial Education Month. For this project, the CBCS collaborates with Fundashon Negoshi Pikiña (FNP), a foundation with proven know-how, experience and success in the field of financial education and entrepreneurship. The goal for this month is to discuss money matters as broadly as possible with a special focus on building financial resilience within the community. The role and importance of the CBCS to the financial system and the community at large will also be explored.
The Financial Education Month, from the 1st to the 30th of November, will feature events for primary, secondary and tertiary-school students, entrepreneurs and the general public. The first week will feature interactive lectures at several primary schools, delivered by CBCS personnel. Topics that will be addressed are: 1) the history of money (bartering and the importance of money) 2) the different functions of money: medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account 3) the role of the CBCS (e.g. the difference between a central bank and a commercial bank) and 4) does money make you happy? These lectures are part of the bigger “Nos
Komunidat” project by FNP, that includes lectures from entrepreneurs, employees and parents.
In the third week of this month, the CBCS will support several activities within the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), since entrepreneurship education is a part of financial education. During this week, primary school students who participated in the “Nos Komunidat” project, will receive a certificate of participation. Furthermore, there will be a motivational speech, delivered by Mrs. Swati Mandela, the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela.
The fourth week of the Financial Education Month will feature a debate night for secondary and tertiary-school students, who will be debating about 1) the economy 2) entrepreneurship, and 3) financial education. In addition, CBCS in collaboration with the University of Curaçao (UoC), will organize a webinar on financial literacy and entrepreneurship. During this webinar, three UoC-students will present their research results. They will have the opportunity to discuss these results with other students from the Caribbean region, Latin America and Europe.
The CBCS’s aim with this project is to make a positive contribution to financial self-sufficiency and financially responsible behavior in the communities of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
For more information on the Financial Education Month and other financial-education presentations organized by the CBCS, please contact the CBCS by e-mail at: info@centralbank.cw.
Please visit the CBCS website at https://www.centralbank.cw/education as well as the official CBCS Facebook page to stay informed of all events being organized.