The museum kits embark on a new school year

The 2024-2025 school year started strong for the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection “Collection in a travelling museum kit” educational programme, which is continuing its journey to schools across Greece for yet another year.

In the first 2 months of the school year, the programme, comprised of the “Nomos-Nomizo-Nomisma” and the “Currency and Transactions. From Yesterday to Nowadays” museum kits, has already travelled to 25 schools across the country, with 1,267 students and 33 teachers participating in the activities.

Aim of the programme

Through their rich and original educational material, the 2 museum kits offer children an interactive learning and recreational experience aiming to:

• Provide knowledge on the history of coins and the evolution of transactions.
• Familiarise them with basic money-related terms and concepts.
• Foster collaboration, experiential learning and observation, while sparking the imagination.

Some stops in the museum kits’ journey

Within the first 2 months of the current school year, the 2 museum kits have already travelled to many schools in Greece.

Primary School of Exarchos, Fthiotida

12 4th-grade students attended the “Nomos-Nomizo-Nomisma” educational programme during its 1st journey of the current school year.

The children:

• Learned about the invention and history of coins.
• Held in their hands exact replicas of the 6 most typical ancient coins.
• Made their own coins out of clay and plasticine using clay moulds.
• Discovered the history of various cities and kings, through 50 coin cards, and located the cities on a large floor map.
• Observed the details of the coin iconography and got to know the variety of themes depicted on their sides (mythology, nature, sports, portraits).

1st Primary School of Chryssovitsa, Metsovo

20 students attended the “Nomos-Nomizo-Nomisma” educational programme in early October 2024.

Children showed interest in the activities, as well as in the presentation and video about ancient coins. Inspired by the museum kit content, they:

• Asked questions to the teachers running the programme.
• Participated in a class discussion, during which the material was linked to the school curriculum.

Primary School of Mikros Evmoiros, Xanthi

30 6th-grade students attended the “Currency and Transactions. From Yesterday to Nowadays” educational programme.

Through the museum kit’s educational material, students:

• Learned about the history of coins and financial transactions from antiquity to the present day.
• Held in their hands exact replicas of the strongest currency from each historical period.
• Became acquainted with the modern means of transaction as dictated by the advent of technology and the digital era.
• Participated in activities and discussions sparked by the images, historical figures and events depicted on the coins and banknotes.

Additionally, many children took the initiative to find and present coins and banknotes from other countries, so they could observe the scenes depicted on them along with their classmates.

Primary School of Gymno, Evia

53 4th-grade students attended the “Currency and Transactions. From Yesterday to Nowadays” educational programme.

The overall experience inspired additional educational activities, such as:

• Holding a makeshift exhibition at school featuring coins made by the children.
• Attending a numismatics programme offered by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece, which is involved in a multi-year excavation project in the area. During the programme, children became acquainted with the ancient coin of Eretria.

Primary School of Dokimio, Aetolia-Acarnania

60 5th- and 6th-grade students attended the “Currency and Transactions. From Yesterday to Nowadays” educational programme.

Children were fascinated by the digital games included in the museum kit, which are a valuable tool for applying knowledge in practice.

Primary School of Oinofyta

40 4th-grade students attended the “Nomos-Nomizo-Nomisma” and the “Currency and Transactions. From Yesterday to Nowadays” educational programme.

Through the educational material, students:

• Learned about the history of coins and transactions.
• Touched, examined and observed coin replicas, reflecting on the artistic value of their iconography.
• Designed and coloured a coin for their area, as they imagined it.
• Showcased the coins they made out of clay and plasticine in a makeshift exhibition at school.
• Discussed about the modern means of transaction, identifying their advantages and disadvantages.
• Got familiar with basic money-related terms.