Around eight thousand students from 7th to 12th grade participated in the third edition of the At My School's Bench initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Banking Association (APB) throughout the 2025/2026 school year. The 317 financial literacy sessions reached 78 schools across the country, including autonomous regions, and were led by 68 volunteers from the association and 13 member banks.
The program focused on three thematic areas: family budget management, with 107 sessions; banking products and services, with 110 sessions; and online security, with 100 sessions. The topics covered included budgeting and budget management, the importance of saving, the role of banks, how main banking products work, and precautions to avoid fraud and online risks.
Rita Machado, head of the Financial Literacy area at APB, stated that young people are increasingly starting earlier to make decisions with financial impact and are exposed to new risks in the digital environment. According to the official, by bringing these topics to schools with a practical and approachable approach, they are providing tools for more informed and safer choices.
The At My School's Bench program follows the programmatic guidelines of the Financial Education Framework, promoted by the National Financial Education Plan, of which APB is a member.
