The CISI Future Foundation (“the Foundation”) is pleased to announce that it has made its first international grant of €25,295 to Junior Achievement Ireland.

The CISI Future Foundation, a charity, promotes education for the public benefit by advancing knowledge and improving skills in financial capacities and capabilities. Junior Achievement Ireland is an educational non-profit, preparing young people for their future by delivering experiental learning in entrepreuership, employability, financial literacy and the value of STEM.

The grant will go towards a project called ‘Balancing Act’ which is an in-classroom practical financial literacy workshop for secondary schools in Ireland, delivered by business volunteers, which will allow students and teachers to engage with industry experts.

Olive Cullinane, Head of HR Ireland, Poland & EMEA Global Functions at MetLife and Junior Achievement Ireland board Director, left, said: “On behalf of the Junior Achievement Ireland board we are delighted to work with the CISI Future Foundation to develop Balancing Act. This project enables young people to make connections between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the ‘real world’. Helping students to develop practical financial habits that can be carried into adulthood is critical to ensure we have a financially literate adult population. Many thanks to the CISI Future Foundation for supporting this worthwhile initiative.”

Nick Swales, DL, Chartered FCSI (Hon), Regional – Director NorthEast, Rathbones Investment Management Ltd and Chair of the CISI Future Foundation, right, said: “The CISI Future Foundation is delighted to be supporting JA Ireland’s ‘Balancing Act’ initiative. On behalf of the Foundation Board, I would like to thank the CISI National Advisory Council in Ireland for introducing us to JA Ireland. We are excited to see the impact this project will have on our shared goal of improving the financial literacy skills for the younger generation.”

Adele Spillane MCSI, Non-Executive Director, Blackrock and President of the CISI Ireland National Advisory Council, left, said: “The Irish CISI National Advisory Council is delighted that the CISI Future Foundation has been able to expand its reach in Ireland and offer their support to Junior Achievement Ireland, to help develop better financial literacy among the students in our secondary schools.”