By funding projects like the "Consumer School," the Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz helps get young people ready for everyday life as consumers – including when it comes to finances. What the foundation does and why we support its work.
Every child receives two envelopes. They're glued together front-to-front. One side is for the money. Into the other go receipts or slips of paper noting expenses. And there you have a "pocket-money planner." The craft instructions are part of MoKi ("Money & Kids"), a collection of materials for project work in primary schools. The idea is to build financial skills from an early age. It's also one element of the project "Consumer School II – Fit for Sustainable Lifestyles," which is largely funded by the Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz.
More consumer education
The Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz was founded in 2010 by the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband and its member organizations. "We fund projects to better inform, advise and educate consumers," explains managing director Julia Marg. "Consumer education needs to be integrated more firmly into everyday life, and the best way to start is right at a young age." One of the challenges: following the 2013 resolution by the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education to strengthen consumer education, the teaching of everyday-life skills was indeed added to the federal states' curricula, but not integrated nationwide or made exam-relevant. "As a result, teachers often still lack the knowledge resources to bring the topics of consumer education to life in a hands-on way."
"Consumer School II" is one initiative that steps into this gap. It builds on earlier project phases and, alongside finances, revolves around the topics of "sustainable consumption," "digital and media literacy," and "health and nutrition." As part of the project, interested schools receive a head start with learning content on these topics. For example, teaching materials and regular updates are provided, along with online training courses for teachers. Committed schools can also apply for the Consumer School award. "Handing over materials is one thing. But of course, what's learned has to be translated into an appropriate way of dealing with these topics in everyday life," Marg notes. "That's why projects that close the gap between knowledge and action are right at the top of our list of priorities."
An app for your own budget
Financial topics play an important role in the foundation's project work. Because it's precisely in financial education that, in the view of the Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz, there are still major shortcomings. "We know that from the work of the consumer advice centers and from many studies. But we also know that the willingness to learn is there and that young people want to strengthen their financial skills." The foundation therefore funds projects for various age groups and situations in life. The project "Goodbye, Hotel Mama," for instance, is aimed at young people and covers, among other things, budget planning for everyday life and choosing the right insurance policies.
Another current project for young people between the ages of 10 and 14 is called "My Finances, My Life Under Control!" The goal is to develop an app that makes it easier to keep track of income and expenses as well as wishes and plans. To make sure the tool matches its target group, the project's organizers – the consumer advice centers of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland – held workshops with students from a secondary school, a vocational school and a grammar school. In a further workshop, experts in debt prevention as well as teachers and parents had their say. The project is now nearing completion. "The prototype is already quite far along," Marg reports. "The foundation will now take charge of developing it into an app and rolling it out."
Support from quirion
Consumer education around finances is close to quirion's heart too – which is why the foundation's work is also supported financially. "Democratizing investing takes transparent offerings from the financial industry, but above all well-informed consumers," says Martin Daut, CEO of quirion. "That's why we support the work of the Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz with full conviction."
If you'd like to learn more about the foundation's work or support it yourself with a donation, you'll find all the information here online.
©Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband
