With the cost of living biting hard for families across Australia, there’s growing pressure on schools to help students build essential life skills – especially when it comes to managing money.
From soaring grocery prices to mounting rental stress, young people are watching the impact of financial strain play out at home, yet many still leave school without a solid grasp of how to budget, save or plan for the future.
For educators, the challenge is clear: preparing students to handle money in a world where financial know-how is no longer a bonus, but a basic necessity.
Since launching in 2022, the Ecstra Foundation’s ‘Talk Money’ program has become the largest free, face-to-face financial education initiative offered in Australian schools. In the last school year, the program reached 128,779 students across 585 schools, delivering 3,092 interactive workshops in metropolitan and regional areas across Australia.
Three years on, Talk Money continues to expand, now reaching an impressive total of 406,189 students since launching, as of 31 March 2025.
Age-appropriate lessons tailored for every stage
Caroline Stewart, CEO of Ecstra Foundation, said the program’s success lies in how it engages students and builds their confidence with money through a blend of practical learning, relevant content, and supportive facilitation.
“Our workshops are designed to be highly interactive, with activities like role-playing and real-life scenarios that make financial concepts more relatable and easier to retain,” Stewart told The Educator.
The content is carefully tailored to suit students’ developmental stages and future needs. “For example, Year 5 and 6 students learn about saving and managing money; Years 7 and 8 explore spending and saving choices; and by Years 9 and 10, they’re diving into workplace rights, tax, and superannuation,” she said.
Skilled facilitators play a crucial role in making the workshops both enjoyable and informative. “Students consistently tell us that our presenters are engaging, approachable, and answer questions in a way that makes money feel less intimidating.”
Throughout the sessions, students also build practical financial skills—such as reading payslips, setting savings goals, and understanding tax and superannuation—equipping them for real-world money management.
Just as important, said Stewart, is the safe and supportive environment the program fosters. “Students feel comfortable talking about money, asking questions, and sharing experiences, which builds their confidence in having financial conversations with family, friends, and future employers.”
According to Stewart, student feedback reflects a clear uplift in their ability to manage money, articulate financial goals, and make informed decisions. “This positive reinforcement not only consolidates their learning but empowers them to apply it in their everyday lives.”
Driving real change in under-resourced schools
Stewart said reaching students in lower-income and remote communities remains a key priority for the Talk Money program, which has embedded equity into its delivery model from the outset.
With facilitators based in most capital cities and dedicated roadshows travelling to regional areas, the program ensures that financial education is not confined to postcode or privilege. In 2024 alone, 376 workshops were delivered to 91 schools through these roadshows—making up 12% of the program’s national reach. Critically, at least 30% of all bookings are reserved for schools with low ICSEA scores, ensuring support reaches those who need it most.
“We find several common factors when we examine our feedback after delivering workshops to these cohorts, including limited financial capability resources,” Stewart said.
“One of the most significant hurdles faced in schools from lower-income or remote areas is the lack of adequate resources and support for teaching financial literacy.”
Although not outlined in the Impact Report, Stewart said Ecstra Foundation’s data indicates that a higher percentage of teachers from low-ICSEA schools (62%) report that financial capability topics are not well covered or taught at all.
“In contrast, only 38% of teachers from high-ICSEA schools share the same sentiment,” she said.
“Furthermore, 34% of teachers from low-ICSEA schools believe that without the Talk Money program, financial capability topics would either not be taught or only be taught minimally, compared to 31% of teachers from high-ICSEA schools.”
Low-ICSEA schools lead the charge
To ensure that schools can improve how they teach students about financial capability, Talk Money has been developing additional resources to support teachers.
“A higher percentage of teachers from low-ICSEA schools (76%) have used or plan to use the Talk Money resources, compared to 68% from high-ICSEA schools,” she said, adding there is a greater emphasis on financial decision-making,” Stewart said.
“The Talk Money survey data indicate that a higher percentage of students from low-ICSEA schools [51%] report planning to save, spend wisely, or budget as a result of the workshops, compared to 41% of students from high-ICSEA schools.”
Additionally, says Stwart, a higher percentage of low-ICSEA school students (36%) cited saving, spending wisely, and budgeting as key takeaways from the workshops, compared to 29% from high-ICSEA students.
“This suggests that students in low-ICSEA schools may have a more immediate need for financial decision-making support, possibly due to their financial circumstances,” she said.
“The Talk Money workshops focus on building practical financial skills and confidence with talking about and managing money to address this need.”
Pointing to other key factors like external facilitation and equity of access, Stewart noted that teachers from both low and high-ICSEA schools overwhelmingly agree that the program’s external facilitators effectively cover the topics at an appropriate level for students.
“The evaluation data continues to illustrate that the provision of external facilitators at no cost to schools ensures that, regardless of the school's level of socio-economic status, they can receive high-quality, accessible financial education,” she said.
Real-time updates to meet real-world challenges
Stewart said Ecstra is keenly aware of the fast-paced changes to operating in a digital environment and making sure to include elements throughout all its workshops that build students' confidence in managing money in digital contexts.
“For example, in our workshops for Year 5 & 6 we look at online gaming and how they are designed to influence us to spend digital money. In our Year 9 & 10 workshops, we discuss the importance of managing our social media footprint in relation to securing a job and pursuing a career,” she said.
“We routinely review the workshop content in consultation with the survey feedback and our facilitators and adjust our scenarios to reflect changing trends.”
Stewart said teachers have reported that the Talk Money program significantly boosts their confidence in teaching financial literacy.
Specifically, evaluation data from the 2024 Impact Report found:
- Increased confidence: 63% of teachers reported that their confidence in teaching financial literacy has increased as a result of the workshops.
- Reassurance from external facilitators: 95% of teachers found it helpful to have an external facilitator cover the topics taught in the workshops, which reassured them and facilitated effective student engagement.
- Resources: 69% of teachers have used or intend to use Talk Money resources after completing the workshops, indicating that the program's impact continues in the classroom.
“Given the program's achievements to date, the continued demand for bookings, and positive feedback from schools, Ecstra Foundation remains committed to ensuring that Talk Money workshops and resources are available in schools across Australia,” Stewart said.
“We continue to advocate for government investment in a coordinated approach to financial wellbeing to ensure Australians can access financial education at key life stages.”