Thanks to the agreement between ES VICIS Foundation and Junior Achievement Santa Fe, secondary school students from the villages of Maggiolo and Santo Domingo (Santa Fe Province, Argentina) accessed scholarships for high-impact training opportunities that strengthen their economic autonomy and future employability..
During the last quarter of 2025, this alliance enabled students to participate in online courses focused on Personal Finance and Artificial Intelligence—two critical skill areas for navigating today’s labor markets, digital economies, and everyday financial decisions.
Why Early Financial Literacy Matters
Understanding how money works from a young age is a key driver of long-term economic resilience. Financial literacy empowers young people to make informed decisions, plan ahead, and reduce vulnerability to debt, exclusion, and informal financial practices—particularly in small rural communities where access to guidance and tools is limited.
This need is reflected in global data highlighted by Junior Achievement Santa Fe: according to S&P’s FinLit Survey, nearly two-thirds of adults worldwide are financially illiterate. More specifically, 44% of young people under 35 lack basic knowledge of core concepts such as inflation, interest rates, and saving. Addressing this gap early is essential to breaking cycles of economic fragility.
Personal Finance Training in Santo Domingo
In Santo Domingo, a village of 1,800 inhabitants, more than 40 students from 4th and 5th year of the Agricultural Technical School completed a Personal Finance course designed to provide practical, everyday skills. The training covered saving, investment, financial planning, and the use of digital financial tools, including fintech platforms increasingly present in daily life.
Beyond theoretical knowledge, the course strengthened students’ confidence and decision-making capacity, helping them understand how to manage personal income, contribute to household stability, and plan future projects. For many participants, this was also their first experience with virtual learning—an additional step toward digital inclusion.
Students reflected on the impact:
“It gave us tools for everyday life and for the future.”
“We learned about fintech, fixed-term deposits, bonds, and stocks—things we use or hear about but didn’t really understand before.”
“It helped us move toward financial independence and even support our families.”
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Maggiolo
In Maggiolo, around ten secondary school students participated in an introductory course on Artificial Intelligence. The training explored generative AI, ethical considerations, real-world applications, and practical tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The objective was not only technical literacy, but also the development of critical thinking, creativity, and digital autonomy—skills increasingly required across professions and educational pathways. Students highlighted the relevance and applicability of the content across subjects and daily tasks.
“We learned a lot and found it very engaging.”
“It’s something we can apply in other subjects and in the future.”
Impact Beyond the Classroom
By facilitating access to high-quality financial and digital education in small villages, this initiative contributes to long-term community resilience. Young people gain tools to better navigate economic systems, make informed choices, and envision future opportunities without needing to leave their territory prematurely.
This experience reinforces a core principle of ES VICIS Foundation’s approach: investing early in human capital—especially among youth—is one of the most effective ways to strengthen rootedness, autonomy, and sustainable local development.
