Southwark (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A Southwark charity is inspiring 8-year-olds to write books on complex financial topics like asset management, pensions, and investment banking.
As reported by Southwark News, a Southwark nonprofit called The Guy Fox History Project teaches elementary school-aged kids about topics that most adults find difficult.
The borough’s 25-year-old program, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary next week, is responsible for this outstanding achievement.
A Southwark charity called The Guy Fox History Project teaches elementary school-aged kids about topics that most adults find difficult to understand, then asks them to create a book about it for younger readers.
“When we were working on a book about investment banking, we explained what a merger was and what an acquisition was and we asked the children how to depict that in the book” she explained.
“They responded that with a merger you can have two buildings that are the same size and they’re holding hands. But with an acquisition it could be a bigger building putting its arm around a smaller building, which looks like a baby and has one tooth.”
Kourtney Harper, an American illustrator who relocated to Bermondsey in the 1990s, launched The Guy Fox Project in 2000.
She came up with the moniker while telling her four-year-old nephew about Guy Fawkes, the Elizabethan outlaw who tried in vain to blow up Parliament.
“He misunderstood and thought I was saying Guy Fox,”
she laughed.
“I thought – why not do a magazine for local kids starring Guy Fox? The idea was initially really to teach children about the local area and different stories from the history of the local community.”
First, the magazine included histories and stories from the area. Rotherhithe Prince Lee Boo, a ship captain who emigrated to London from the Pacific island of Palau in the 1780s and is currently interred outside St. Mary’s Church, was the subject of an early issue.
Activities incorporating family chores, conversations about financial decisions, and parent participation are all used to strengthen learning and apply ideas in real-world situations.
As a result of the magazine’s success, Harper began to consider how she could reach more local kids. She began going to schools to teach kids how to sketch, and over time, she improved the charity’s distinctive strategy.
“We pick a school and choose one class, and the children go through a process of writing about a topic and figuring it out,”
she said.
“Right now we’re doing a project about personal finance and savings for retirement and it tells you the story of how the economy works.”
A book about asset management was written by the Guy Fox Project in collaboration with the students of John Donne Primary School in Peckham. Another project entailed teaching the students of Tower Bridge Primary School about international commercial law.
Major law firms or city corporations, such UBS, Schroders, and Lloyd’s of London, provide funding for each initiative.
Following the completion of each book, the youngsters sign the books and give speeches at a launch celebration hosted by the organization. After then, about 5,000 copies are given out to London’s schools.
Children from local primary schools have had the opportunity to interact with some of the most influential people in the nation through their participation in the program.
“We have gone to the Supreme Court and had an audience with [then-president] Lady Hale – we’ve sat in the Oak Room at the Bank of England which is where they determine interest rates and met with senior economists,”
said Kourtney.
Every employee at Guy Fox is a volunteer, with Kourtney being the only full-time employee. According to her, the amount of kids who go on to volunteer as adults, like Dr. Fahimul Amin, is the clearest indication of the charity’s influence.
What specific financial education content is included in the programmes for eight year olds?
Using guided exercises, teach kids how to make basic financial decisions, differentiate between necessities and wants, and comprehend the effects of their choices.
To teach kids the value of money and delayed gratification, introduce them to the concepts of goal-saving, small-scale money management, and basic budgeting.
To develop early money management skills, use interactive resources such as games or applications that mimic tracking expenses, managing an allowance, and creating savings targets.
describing basic concepts of earning money (e.g., through chores), credit and debt in simple terms, and the significance of managing finances responsibly.
Age-appropriate, simplified teachings on how money can grow through bonds, fixed deposits, and savings accounts that highlight the risks and rewards.