Ostrów Wielkopolski has integrated financial literacy, empathy, and mental health education into every primary school, building a city-wide ecosystem that prepares children for life as informed, inclusive, and emotionally resilient citizens.
THREE ESSENTIALS MISSING FROM SCHOOL CURRICULA
Most schools teach children what to think. Fewer teach them how to manage money, understand others, or look after their own mental health. Ostrów Wielkopolski decided to change this. Through a strategic collaboration between City Hall and the Czepczyński Family Foundation, the ABC programme integrates three interconnected strands into the core curriculum of every primary school in the city: entrepreneurship and financial responsibility through ABC of Economics, empathy and inclusion towards people with disabilities through ABC of Empathy, and psychological resilience and stress management through ABC of Emotions, launched in 2026.
RELATABLE STORIES, REAL LIFE SKILLS
What makes this programme distinctive is how it works. Rather than add-on workshops or one-off sessions, the content is woven into the weekly curriculum using specialised literature, relatable characters, and pedagogical tools designed for educators. Financial literacy and inclusive education are taught side by side, showing children that economic awareness and social responsibility are not separate values but connected ones. Specialist training for teachers and parents extends the programme beyond the classroom. Over 600 bilingual Polish and Ukrainian publications were distributed to support the integration of children with migration backgrounds, strengthening community cohesion across the city.
A GENERATION PREPARED FOR THE REAL WORLD
The programme has achieved universal coverage across all primary schools in Ostrów Wielkopolski, ensuring every child has equal access to this education regardless of their background. It has demonstrably increased economic awareness and fostered attitudes of empathy and inclusion, while directly addressing the European youth mental health crisis through systemic psychological support. By embedding these competencies at the most formative stage of development, Ostrów Wielkopolski has created a replicable model for other municipalities seeking to raise a generation of financially stable, socially aware, and emotionally resilient citizens.
