The Numismatic Collection celebrates the International Day of Education

On the occasion of the International Day of Education on the 24th of January, the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection visited primary schools in Epirus to present for the first time its new educational programme titled "A journey through the world of money” in the form of a museum kit.

On Thursday, 23 January 2025, 160 children from all classes of the Primary School of Paramythia, and on Friday, 24 January 2025, 80 students from Arsakeio Primary School of Ioannina aged 9-11 embarked on a journey into the world of money and its management through educational materials. The educational programme was presented by the Numismatic Collection Curator, Dr Dimitra Tsangari.

The children discover the history of coins

Through their participation in the educational programme in the form of a museum kit, the children got to know the history of coins, the main means of transaction, which first appeared in Ancient Greece, spread throughout the Ancient Greek World and changed the course of numismatic history globally.

Specifically, the students:

• Learned about the means of transaction during the pre-coin period.
• Came in contact with the the silver didrachm of the Epirote League, observed its iconography and discussed the worshipping of Zeus and Dione in Epirus.
• Talked about coins across different periods of Greek history and discussed the modern digital means of transaction.

Students become familiar with important concepts

The programme aims at promoting financial literacy among young people and shaping responsible future citizens. Through its interactive content, students:

• Realised that money was invented and used for the purpose of facilitating transactions and enabling people to fulfil their financial obligations.
• Learned about the efficiency of useful practices, such as developing a personal budget plan, tracking income and expenses, and saving.
• Expressed their own thoughts and concerns.
• Discussed topics related to managing their own finances.

Experiential activities followed and the museum kits remained in the schools to be utilised by teachers in their classes.

Who attended the programme

The presentation and the educational activities were attended by Alpha Bank executives from the:

• Attica II, Southwestern Greece and Islands Branch Division
• Igoumenitsa and Ioannina Branches

Also present were the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Souli and the school's management and teaching staff.

Comments from school directors on the educational activities

"On 24 January 2025, International Day of Education, we were pleased to welcome to our school the “A journey through the world of money” museum kit, Alpha Bank’s innovative financial literacy education programme. It was a flawlessly designed museum education programme with aesthetically appealing material, which will serve as a useful tool for our teachers and as a significant experiential learning experience for our students, aiming to enhance their financial literacy. The first contact left both students and teachers with excellent impressions and enthusiasm for the programme’s in-classroom utilisation. We wish to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all Alpha Bank executives for their collaboration and for implementing this activity in Ioannina, and we wish the new museum kit a fruitful educational journey across schools nationwide".

Eleni Papanikolaou

Director, Arsakeio Primary School of Ioannina

“I would like to express my gratitude to Alpha Bank for allowing us to host the “A journey through the world of money”’ educational programme, which provided our students with a comprehensive view of the history of money and the modern financial processes”.

Georgios Drimtzias

Director, 1st Primary School of Paramythia

View the post on the official website of Paramythia Primary School (available only in Greek).

About the International Day of Education

Today, the concept of education transcends the boundaries of school textbooks and encompasses the full range of individual and societal activities. Aiming at personal empowerment, creating opportunities, reducing inequalities and promoting sustainable development, education provides stimuli that enable children to:

• Develop different skills.
• Broaden their intellectual abilities.
• Sharpen their creativity.
• Establish a strong set of values and behaviours.

To this end, free, equitable and quality education constitutes a critical development goal for many countries worldwide and a core objective of the United Nations, while also functioning as a key driver to achieve other global goals, such as the eradication of poverty and the promotion of gender equality.

Due to the commitment to provide access to quality education for everyone and to highlight its contribution to personal development and the creation of sustainable societies, the UN General Assembly has designated the 24th of January of each year as the International Day of Education.