How do you get youngsters interested in lessons about saving, budgeting and investing?

Definitely not with lectures, said the founders of Talents Foundation, a Hong Kong charity that aims to teach young people how to manage their finances and achieve their career and life goals in a fun way.

Founders Arthur Hui Ka-yu and David Wong have developed a curriculum, including a Monopoly-like board game, that teaches primary and secondary school students how to seize opportunities, such as job promotions and stock investments, and deal with real-life challenges, including lay-offs and stock market crashes.

“They learn more this way. They remember the lessons better,” said Wong, the charity’s operations director.

He and Hui founded the charity in 2022 after noticing a lack of financial literacy training in many schools.

“They might teach macroeconomic concepts such as inflation or commerce, but not on a personal level,” said Hui, the programme director, adding that many parents also did not talk about finances with their children.