by Maximiliano Crocamo
The Bank of Italy’s Trieste branch is expanding its financial education initiatives this November, offering workshops for students and information sessions for adults on budgeting, digital payments, consumer protection and online scams.
The program is part of Financial Education Month, an annual initiative coordinated by Italy’s Edufin Committee. Now in its ninth edition, the campaign is free of charge and has no commercial objectives. This year’s theme is “Financial education: today for your tomorrow.”
Maddalena Ferri, deputy director and financial education adviser at the Bank of Italy’s Trieste branch, said the activities focus on two main groups: young people, particularly students, and adults facing economic or financial difficulties.
“Schools are our privileged channel,” Ferri said, noting the branch’s collaboration with the Regional School Office. She added that the program also seeks to reach “the most fragile adults,” who may be particularly vulnerable to financial risks.
For younger participants, workshops are designed to introduce practical financial concepts through interactive activities. The “Amico Immaginario” workshop, aimed at primary and lower secondary school students, explores how to balance spending with available resources and prepare for unexpected expenses.
Secondary school students can take part in three online quizzes hosted on Kahoot. “Cyber Quiz” focuses on electronic payments and online fraud, while “Costruisci il tuo futuro” examines payment methods and spending plans. “Semina il tuo futuro” introduces questions related to sustainability and economic policy.
Older students will also have the opportunity to participate in a “Legality Table,” organized with the Italian Revenue Agency, the Guardia di Finanza and the Postal Police.
The program for adults will include online and in-person meetings on consumer rights and financial security. One session will explain the role of the Banking and Financial Ombudsman, Italy’s alternative dispute-resolution service for certain disputes between customers and financial institutions. The meeting is being organized in cooperation with consumer associations.
Another workshop will address digital payments and online fraud, including scams involving deepfakes and other forms of artificial intelligence. The aim is to help participants recognize increasingly sophisticated forms of online manipulation.
Ferri said the session would focus on identifying scams that can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications, particularly as new technologies make fraudulent messages and interactions more convincing.
The November program builds on the branch’s broader educational work across Friuli Venezia Giulia. During the 2025-26 school year, the Bank of Italy reported organizing 90 initiatives that reached a combined 3,348 participants, including students, young people and adults.
For the 2026-27 school year, the branch aims to maintain that level of activity and, if possible, increase participation.
The initiative reflects a wider effort to make financial knowledge more accessible, from helping students understand everyday spending decisions to equipping adults with tools to protect themselves against fraud and navigate financial disputes.
