National Award Bestowed to Australian Financial Literacy Program

This year’s Commonwealth Bank Foundation Teaching Award has been awarded to Mount View High School teacher Rebecca Rounsley for her success in improving the financial education and money management expertise of Australian students.  Rounsley is one of fifteen teachers selected from more than 200 applicants in this year’s Commonwealth awards program that seeks to identify the creative and engaging ways in which teachers improve financial literacy in Australia.

Roundsley was a standout among applicants in part for her work with students with mild intellectual disabilities, enabling them to successfully recognize, count and understand the practical uses of money.  She is expanding the initiative to include several most students who have been diagnosed with autism.  Among the topics covered in the program are balancing a cash register, establishing a float, and even managing the finances of a coffee shop business run by the students.

The Commonwealth Bank Foundation Teaching Awards were established to increase the levels of financial capability among Australian students by recognizing and providing support to teachers who incorporate financial literacy into the school curriculum.  The program is consistent with the fast-growing trend in communities throughout the world to foster financial education among young people so they are better equipped over their lives to manage their financial affairs and heighten their overall financial well-being.