Financial Literary in Action Awards winners
The winners of the 2026 Financial Literacy in Action Awards have been announced, celebrating outstanding teachers across Australia who are teaching students practical money skills through innovative classroom lessons.
Now in their fourth year, the awards are presented by Talk Money with Ecstra Foundation, and recognise approaches that help young people build financial capability, money confidence and real world decision making skills.
The winners of the 2026 Financial Literacy in Action awards have been announced, celebrating outstanding teachers across Australia who are teaching students practical money skills through innovative classroom lessons.
Now in their fourth year, the awards are presented by Talk Money with Ecstra Foundation, and recognise approaches that help young people build financial capability, money confidence and real world decision making skills.
The 2026 winning entries in each category receive $2,500 for their school and include:
– Carolyn Maroske, Narangba Valley State School, QLD (Kindergarten to Year 6)
– Margaret Kroeger, Northside Montessori School, NSW (Years 7 and 8)
– Doris Yu, Salisbury High School, SA (Years 9 and 10)
– Charlie Jeong, Newstead College, TAS (Years 11 and 12).
Ecstra Foundation CEO Caroline Stewart said the awards highlight the crucial role teachers play in building financial capability at key life stages.
“Introducing financial literacy in the classroom is critical for lifelong financial wellbeing. The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the creativity and commitment of educators who are bringing financial education to life in ways that are practical, engaging and relevant.” The announcement coincides with Global Money Week, a global initiative coordinated by the OECD that highlights the importance of equipping young people with the skills to manage money and navigate financial decisions throughout their lives.
Ms Stewart said the strong response to the awards reflects growing recognition of the importance of financial education in schools.“Financial capability is built over time, schools and classroom lessons are central to teaching young people how to develop these skills early,” she said. The winning initiatives demonstrate a range of practical approaches to financial education, tailored to different age groups and learning contexts.
At Narangba Valley State School, Carolyn Maroske introduced a classroom based program where Year 5 students earned, managed and spent money through real life scenarios, helping them understand consequences, planning and decision making.
At Northside Montessori School, Margaret Kroeger tasked Years 7 and 8 students with designing and presenting enterprise ideas, applying concepts such as budgeting, pricing, loans, interest, profit and financial responsibility.
At Salisbury High School, Doris Yu supported Year 10 students to build a “Job Ready Portfolio”, including a resume, payslip analysis, budgeting focusing on needs versus wants, and understanding tax and superannuation.
At Newstead College, Charlie Jeong focused on a “Money Skills for Life” program covering budgeting, banking, credit, payslips and superannuation, comparing banking options such as fees and interest, to prepare students for financial independence.
“These initiatives show what effective financial education looks like in practice,” Ms Stewart said. “They connect classroom learning with students’ real life financial decisions, building skills they can carry with them beyond their school years.”
The latest Talk Money Impact Report shows that students who participate in financial education programs demonstrate measurable improvements in financial capability, including increased confidence managing money, stronger goal-setting behaviours, and greater ability to talk about money. Teachers also report strong demand for practical financial education, with many identifying the need for more resources and support to deliver real-world financial learning in the classroom.
About Ecstra Foundation
Ecstra Foundation is committed to a future where people can achieve their best financial wellbeing. Ecstra invests in partnerships, programs and people to provide effective financial education at key life stages and to improve community financial capability and wellbeing.
Its flagship financial literacy program, Talk Money with Ecstra Foundation, ensures more Australian students have access to effective money lessons and guidance when they need it. Talk Money is the largest school-based face-to-face financial education program offered in Australia.
Since launching in 2022 Talk Money has engaged 1,622 schools, delivered over 13,200 workshops with more than 530,000 student bookings and continues to expand to schools nationally.
Read the 2025 Talk Money Impact report here.
For more information please contact:
Ecstra Foundation
Jo Morgan, Head of Marketing & Communications
M 0437 045 086
PritchittBland Communications
Claudia Pritchitt
M 0438 221 550
