First interactive exhibition on the world of money “Alphabet of Money” opened

Zagreb, 23 February 2015 – Interactive exhibition for children and adults about the world of money “Alphabet of Money” was opened in the Technical Museum in Zagreb. The exhibition consists of 10 interactive stations through which visitors can get familiar with the basics of financial literacy – history, function and value of money, different types of commerce, poverty, deposits and investments. Through play, in a simple and interactive way, they can learn how to find gold using a pan, how to repay a loan, form a product price, what stocks are, and what fair trade is. This is the first such exhibition in Croatia and the same set has already been displayed in Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania and Serbia, where it was seen by more than 150,000 visitors. The exhibition was initiated by Erste Bank and Erste Group in association with the Children Museum ZOOM from Vienna and Children Museum FRida & freD from Graz.

Since it is primarily intended for children above of 8 years or older, the Alphabet of Money is designed as one big game. At the start, children are given electronic bank cards for their personal accounts with the initial funds. Going from one station in the exhibition to another, children can participate in important money flow processes by playing games. They can perform different tasks to earn money, save or spend it on different services and commodities. In a practical and active way the children learn about the function and role of money in our society. A multimedia quiz on each station gives them an opportunity to test the newly gained knowledge and make money through “intellectual work”. The application of interactive stations provides for targeted and independent learning.

“As a financial institution we have a great responsibility towards our community with regards to providing financial literacy to the younger generations. We in Erste Bank, as well as our colleagues in international Erste Group, have been continuously striving to contribute in this respect. In today’s world when money is present everywhere, it is very important to give children a chance to learn about the basic notions of money and even financial management, so they could develop a responsible attitude towards money from an early age,” said Zdenko Matak, Erste Bank Board member.

“The Technical Museum has a traditional educational role and many programmes focused on encouraging children to develop their own opinions, decision making and critical thinking. Such life skills, not only financial, are just as important for children and for adults, and can be developed in the context of this exhibition. The Museum aims at increasing interactive contents – and this is exactly that this exhibition is about – as well as cooperating with relevant European institutions such as the Children Museum ZOOM from Vienna and Children Museum FRida & freD from Graz,” said Markita Franulić, the Technical Museum manager.

The “Alphabet of Money” exhibition can be seen in the Technical Museum, Savska cesta 18, Zagreb from 21 February 2015 to 10 January 2016. It is open from Tuesday to Friday 9am to 5pm and on Saturday and Sunday 9am to 1pm. The video of the exhibition is available at: ABECEDA NOVCA_youtube.com.