A Brisbane high school student is leading a youth-driven effort to improve financial literacy among young people, launching an initiative that seeks to equip teenagers and young adults with practical money management skills before they enter adulthood.
Project Piggybank, founded by Brisbane student Gauri Varma, has been developed as a youth-led education program focused on helping young people understand everyday financial concepts that are often absent from the school curriculum.
The project offers workshops covering budgeting, money management, financial planning, spending habits, goal setting and decision-making, with sessions designed to encourage participation rather than traditional classroom-style teaching. Programs are delivered both online and in person, with participants aged between 13 and 25.
The initiative was established in response to concerns that many young Australians leave school without the knowledge needed to navigate increasingly complex financial decisions.
Project Piggybank says those challenges have become more pressing as young people face rising housing costs, higher education expenses, inflation and a changing job market. It argues that stronger financial literacy can help improve confidence and reduce financial stress, which is recognised as a contributor to poorer mental wellbeing among young people.
Although based in Brisbane, the program has expanded beyond Australia through workshops and digital activities involving participants in India, the United States and Dubai.
Organisers say the project has attracted more than 1,000 followers across its online community and more than 100 participants have attended its financial literacy workshops. It has also developed partnerships with organisations supporting disengaged and job-seeking young people and is building a volunteer network to expand its reach.
As part of its community engagement, Project Piggybank has worked with Brisbane City Council libraries to promote financial literacy through educational displays.
The workshops encourage participants to distinguish between needs and wants, develop budgeting skills, build healthy financial habits and make informed financial decisions before taking on major financial responsibilities.
Project Piggybank describes its approach as practical, accessible, inclusive and youth-led, with a focus on making financial education relevant to everyday life.
Looking ahead, the organisation hopes to expand beyond individual workshops by encouraging more open conversations about money among young people and improving access to financial education regardless of background or circumstance.
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