Class is in!

The Bank has become a Children’s University learning destination, joining a network of places which offer opportunities for young participants to engage in informal learning. 

Children’s University is a program delivered by the University of Tasmania’s Peter Underwood Centre, which aims to raise educational engagement and outcomes for primary school-aged children. 

“One of our goals is to build community capacity to engage with young learners, so we are really excited about working in partnership with Bank of us,” according to Centre Director Leanne McLean. 

“We have a range of community and cultural organisations we’ve worked with, but this is the first Tasmanian business.” 

The partnership has two elements: 

• The Bank’s Statewide network of stores will become learning destinations where Children’s University kids can have a passport stamped, adding hours which count toward their graduation milestones. 
• Experts from Children’s University running a research project, in which young people will work with Bank staff to co-design a resource to support conversations with children about being financially confident. 

Bank of us Chief Executive Officer Paul Ranson said he and everyone at the Bank was keen to share the insights of the young learners. 

“Our Bank has committed to having positive impact in the community in two ways: helping people to be more financially secure and helping them to be more housing secure,” Mr Ranson said. 

“We think the real power in this partnership is bringing the voice of young people to the table. 

“We’re looking forward to listening and learning and seeing what they come up with as part of the co-design process. 

“Given the cost-of-living pressures we are seeing in the community, it’s become so important to engage with younger people in conversations about financial security and help them up to be confident with money.” 

Children’s University participants will be part of workshops at the Bank in Launceston on April 14 and April 16 before turning their creative skills to developing the resource. 

Dr Becky Shelley, the Centre’s Deputy Director (Aspiration and Attainment), has previously led co-design projects which provided activity sheets for the Devonport Regional Art Gallery and National Automobile Museum in Launceston. 

“We don’t really know what the resource is going to be for Bank of us,” Dr Shelly said. “Where we end up is very guided by the children in the room.”