Giving kids a head start with RedSTART
Last year, our members voted for RedSTART to become our new charity partner – but what is RedSTART, what do they stand for and how can you help?
What is RedSTART?
Have you ever found yourself asking "why wasn't I taught this in school?"?
As we wrangle with buying, selling, budgeting, interest, credit, taxes and the general challenges of financial responsibilities, it's easy to wonder why so many of the skills we need as an adult weren't part of the school curriculum.
RedSTART Educate’s mission is to address exactly that. The charity visits primary schools to teach children from a young age how money works, helping them to get a head start on their financial security.
RedSTART believes financial habits are learned early in life and that teaching children about money will not only help them avoid bad money habits, but also promote good ones.
With its Change the Game programme, the charity is working with King’s College Policy Institute to build evidence of the long-term benefits of this approach. RedSTART plans to take this evidence to the government to petition for a permanent change in the school curriculum.
That way, it won't just be the children who are lucky enough to have a visit from RedSTART that learn those vital money management skills, everyone will have the opportunity to become financially savvy adults.
RedSTART has produced a short animation to introduce the Change the Game programme in schools. You can watch the animation on the 2023 Charity Film Awards website.
What does RedSTART's programme involve?
Learning about money can be tedious when you’re young. RedSTART's programme keeps children interested with fun and interactive workshops, which include hands-on experience and visual examples of how money works.
RedSTART visits children at various points throughout their time at primary school so the same children have multiple visits from the team and are able to build on their learning.
The workshops and activities cover a variety of money-related topics, such as earning, spending and saving, budgeting, risk and reward and even financial fraud.
The children are also given extra tasks to take home and finish with their families. There's even a RedSTART app where children earn rewards by completing mental arithmetic challenges.
RedSTART is working with King’s College Policy Institute on a study to analyse the long-term impact these workshops have.
How can you help?
RedSTART works with schools in five areas of the UK and is currently looking for volunteers to help teachers deliver the RedSTART workshops in primary schools.
You must be over 18 years old to volunteer and will need to pass a CRB check. RedSTART will train you and support you throughout the process.
Most RedSTART workshops are around two hours long and you can sign up to help at one or several sessions.
RedSTART currently works with schools in the following areas:
- Bristol
- north and south London
- Suffolk
- Edinburgh
- Newcastle
You can choose to help out at a workshop in any of the participating schools. To prepare you for your role, RedSTART will give you all the training materials you need and work with the school to help everything go smoothly.
If you'd like to lend a hand, you can sign up here.
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