2007 Topic Competition Report For Australia

In Australia, the year began with regional financial literacy training seminars in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and sub-regional meetings in Adelaide and Perth. These seminars covered a range of SIFE program issues as well as emphasizing financial literacy. Fourteen SIFE Australia teams ran focused financial education projects that ranged from simple, classroom-based instruction to primary or secondary school students through to engaging with various parts of the general community in role-plays and computer assisted scenarios. All projects used computerized technology to either produce the teaching resources (e.g., handouts, integrated engagement or visual presentations) or to enhance the financial skills of the learner. A special Financial Literacy Seminar and competition was held on the first day of the 2007 SIFE Australian National Competition where teams presented a summary of their project to a panel of corporate sector judges. A national winner and other finalists were named.

National Winner

Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

Education Enterprise is a no-cost schools program created by SIFE Flinders University to improve the community's financial literacy, and has achieved great success for primary and secondary grade levels, in both local & regional areas of South Australia. The primary school publications focus on the difference between needs and wants, the importance of saving, and basic budgeting skills. The secondary schools program improves students' understanding of global markets and how they work, and develop the understanding and implementation of competitive business skills (including ethical, responsible & sustainable business practices). Education Enterprise has reached over 7000 students in Australia, most residing in low socioeconomic areas of Adelaide and regional areas of South Australia. Education Enterprise has now entered phase 3, development & production of the secondary schools program onto CD-Rom.

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