9th Todos Contam competition – Applications up to 9 October

Applications for the 9^th Todos Contam competition are now open, which rewards the best financial education projects from Portuguese schools for the 2020/21 school year.

Applications to the “School Awards” and the “Teacher Award” must be submitted by 9 October 2020 via the e-mail address concurso@todoscontam.pt.

The current context of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased challenges to schools and the way projects are implemented. The issue of financial education is especially pressing in this context and schools have been challenged to promote the financial education of their students with new activities and new materials that can be adapted to distance learning.

What is the Todos Contam competition?

The Todos Contam competition promotes and fosters the development of financial education projects in schools.

It is an initiative of the National Council of Financial Supervisors (Banco de Portugal, Portuguese Securities Market Commission and Portuguese Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority) and of the Ministry of Education, through the Directorate-General for Education and the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training.

Who can apply?

Under the “School Awards” category, participation is open to school groupings, ungrouped schools, private and cooperative schools, and vocational schools with kindergarten, basic and secondary education.

Under the “Teacher Award” category, participation is open to teachers working in schools that have implemented financial education projects in previous years.

How can you apply?

Applications to the “School Awards” and the “Teacher Award” must be submitted by 9 October 2020 to the e-mail address concurso@todoscontam.pt.

Applications to the “School Awards” must be submitted under the responsibility of the school/school grouping director or director of studies, by sending the application form included in Annex I to the terms of reference, duly completed and signed.

Applications to the “Teacher Award” must be submitted by the applicant itself or by the school/school grouping director or director of studies, by sending the application form included in Annex II to the terms of reference, duly completed and signed.

You may check the terms of reference for the Todos Contam competition on this page, the Todos Contam website or the websites of the Directorate-General for Education (www.dge.mec.pt) and the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (www.anqep.gov.pt).

What are the requirements for applications?

On the basis of the Core Competencies for Financial Education in Kindergarten, Basic Education, Secondary Education and Adult Learning and Training, the candidate projects and teachers must:

• Raise awareness to the importance of financial knowledge on a day-to-day basis;

• Develop key financial literacy and skills when making financial decisions;

• Promote adequate financial behaviour and attitudes;

• Encourage the creation of saving habits;

• Improve knowledge and skills in the use of digital financial services:

• Foster the use of the educational resources of the National Plan for Financial Education, such as the Financial Education Workbooks and the contents and tools available on the Todos Contam website.

Applications must also abide by the Plan’s Principles for Financial Education Initiatives. Applications that include initiatives co-developed with financial sector institutions, without involvement of the respective sector association, do not abide by the Principles and, therefore, are not eligible for competition.

How are applications assessed?

Applications are assessed in light of the objectives pursued by the Todos Contam competition and according to the assessment and valuation criteria set out in the terms of reference for each award category.

The projects are assessed by the Todos Contam competition jury, which is composed of Isabel Alçada (as chair), Maria Amélia Cupertino de Miranda, Alexandra Marques, José Vítor Pedroso (Director-General for Education), and Ana Cláudia Valente (member of the Board of the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training).

What are the awards?

The Todos Contam competition grants awards in the following categories:

• “School Awards” to reward the best financial education projects, which will be developed in schools during the 2020/21 school year:

  • Five “School Awards” are granted: one in Kindergarten, one in each stage of Basic Education and one in Secondary Education;

  • A continuity award may also be granted to distinguish multiannual projects that entered the competition for three consecutive editions.

• “Teacher Award” to reward the teacher that stood out the most in implementing the financial education projects in previous years.

Each winner gets books and school supplies to the amount of €1,000.

The awards granted under the “School Awards” category are disbursed in two parts: the first part is given after the official announcement of the award-winning projects and the second part of the award is given after the end of the 2020/21 school year, subject to proof of the project’s actual implementation.

Winners will be officially announced during the “Financial Literacy Week 2020”, promoted by the National Council of Financial Supervisors in the week of 26 to 30 October.