Sailing on the Saving Seas.

The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) was one of fifteen organisations to be awarded funding from the Ulster Bank Community Impact Fund. With this funding, the ELI developed a financial literacy programme for 3rd and 4th classes in the Dublin Docklands. The Ulster Bank Financial Literacy Programme included a home-school-corporate partnership with Ulster Bank volunteers, children in five local primary schools in the Dublin Docklands and their families, whereby a series of learning activities were taught at school and at home over a six week period. The aim of the programme is to help children develop financial mathematical skills they will need in their everyday lives, which will act as the foundation for them to progress through the education system and obtain the qualifications needed to work in companies like Ulster Bank. During the programme, the children covered topics such as income, budgeting, saving, borrowing and currency. Each class worked in groups and they were then asked to include these topics in their story. Our volunteers chose one story from each class to be included in the book. This book is made up of stories written by nine 3rd and 4th classes in five schools from the Dublin Docklands. The children who are the co-authors of the stories are aged between 8-10 years old. The schools involved were: St Joseph’s Co-Ed Primary School, Dublin 3. St Laurence O’Toole’s CBS, Dublin 1. St Laurence O’Toole’s Girls School, Dublin 1. St Patrick’s Boys National School, Ringsend, Dublin 4. St Patrick’s Girls National School, Ringsend, Dublin 4