Double Event with Hackathon

Dreams are desires that can become reality with solid planning. Turning an idea into reality requires commitment, time, and … money. And this has led us to develop “Io Conto - Digital Tools and Financial Understanding Meet,” a double event developed by ING Italia and Fondazione Mondo Digitale  for the global Global Money Week  (March 20-26) campaign, the global campaign dedicated to the financial education of youth. The event also marks ING Italia’s partnership in Coding Girls, the FMD programme to train the new generations in Steam subjects. Because financial education is essential, but far from obvious, as demonstrated by data and research. It is fundamental not only to better manage savings, avoid mistakes, and make good investment choices, but also for the development of any project that requires the planning of economic and financial resources.

Italy certainly does not excel in this field:

• The 2022 Consob Report on the investment choices of Italian families indicates a widespread lack of financial knowledge, including basic concepts such as investment diversification.
• A 2020 survey by the Bank of Italy found that only 36% of Italians have a good knowledge of the basic principles of economics and finance.
• Even young people require greater awareness of money management, as highlighted by a 2021 survey by Scuolazoo, which found that only 10% of Italian high school students have adequate knowledge of financial matters.

On March 24, 2023, with a double event in Castellanza (Varese) and Rome, ING Italia and the Fondazione Mondo Digitale will join forces to raise young people's awareness of the importance of acquiring the knowledge, skills and behaviour necessary to make financial decisions consistent with the own aspirations, needs and possibilities.

A challenge (a hackathon) will involve young people on the subject they know best: technology and digital skills. The objective is to put the potential of technology and digital tools at the service of better management and financial planning of resources. After a training course in STEAM and programming, the students will have to identify a project and learn to manage the personal assets necessary to achieve it by programming a dedicated app.

Why an app? Because research shows that digital and financial education can be precious allies, especially amongst young people. It allows:

• Greater accessibility. Digital assets allow access to financial information and instruments from anywhere and at any time via mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
• Gamification. The use of game and simulation techniques makes learning financial concepts more fun and effective.
• Greater engagement. Digital resources allow greater user engagement through interaction with content and the customisation of learning based on specific needs and preferences.
• Budgeting tools. Budgeting apps and software can help keep track of your spending and money.

In the days preceding the hackathon, participants will participate in the “START APP. Ideational Thinking: Lab with Marvel” held by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. Marvel is an intuitive on-line drag-and-drop prototyping software that allows even those without a technical background to create demo apps.

Participants at “LIUC - Università Cattaneo” include Roberta Cocco, an expert in digital transformation and female empowerment; Silvia Colombo, Head of External Communication & CSR - ING Italia; Cecilia Stajano, Community Manager at the Fondazione Mondo Digitale; Federico Visconti, Rector of LIUC - Università Cattaneo.

In Rome: Alfonso Molina, Scientific Director, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, and Monica Lucarelli, Councillor for Security Policy, Productive Activities and Equal Opportunities.

"Since 2020, ING Italia has been contributing ,with the Job Digital Lab, to develop 'future-proof' skills with particular attention to strengthening the digital knowledge of the most fragile categories: women and young people in the first place," points out Silvia Colombo, Head of External Communication & CSR ING Italia. "Today's appointment adds an important element to this process, enriching it with a further component - financial awareness - at the basis of every project. Giving young students the opportunity to test themselves with a concrete challenge is a great source of pride for us at ING".

“We are very proud of ING’s presence in the Coding Girls alliance," explains Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. "With the Job Digital Lab Programme, we want to reach out to as many people as possible with quality training, because more training means reducing distances and making society more inclusive. With #IOCONTO, we inaugurate a collaboration that extends the commitment to disseminating digital skills as a tool for a better quality of life for young women, too."

The double event is part of Programme Job Digital Lab created by ING Italia to strengthen digital skills in our country (11,000 participants to date), which this year joins Coding Girls, the programme born to train the new generations in STEAM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), coordinated by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale  and supported by the US Diplomatic Mission to Italy in collaboration with Microsoft and a large alliance of organizations and companies, including ING Italia.