The Edufinet Project, a financial education project promoted by Fundación Unicaja and Unicaja, has been a finalist in the 'Vuela 2024 Awards', in the category of 'most inspiring private collaboration'. This recognition highlights the work carried out by Edufinet, within its ‘Ambassadors Project (Financial Education for Senior Citizens)', to promote the financial and digital inclusion of senior citizens, especially in rural areas, and to increase their confidence and autonomy in the management of their finances.
These awards are granted by Puntos Vuela, an Andalusian public network of more than 760 centers, an initiative of the Junta de Andalucía, promoted through the Consorcio Fernando de los Ríos and the Agencia Digital de Andalucía, with the support of the eight Andalusian provincial councils since 2003, for the digital training of people, professionals and companies and the revitalization of their areas of action: rural towns of less than 20,000 inhabitants, and certain disadvantaged neighborhoods of larger cities. Its objective is to work to achieve equal opportunities in access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and to promote Andalusian talent and collective intelligence.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the awards gala took place in Granada, and, on behalf of the Edufinet Project, it was attended by Arnie Zareei, a member of the work team of this financial education program.
These awards, which are part of the Vuela 2022-2025 Strategy, recognize, in eight different categories, those actors who have had a significant impact on the digital life of citizens, enhancing the relationship with the electronic administration, with online training platforms, with the network of Puntos Vuela and people from different parts of Andalusia, in the creation of wealth, opportunities and increasing the vital attractiveness of each municipality. Specifically, the category in which Edufinet has been recognized as a finalist is dedicated to companies or private companies that develop or lead projects or key works for the development of initiatives in the center or the network.
Senior citizens: a priority group
From the 'Ambassadors Project (Financial Education for Senior Citizens)', an initiative that Edufinet develops with the collaboration of Funcas Educa and the Puntos Vuela Network, the aim is to transfer to senior citizens, especially in the rural environment and with a practical approach, knowledge and skills that allow them to manage their finances with greater autonomy and improve their skills, both in the field of cybersecurity and in the use of digital banking tools and services.
In this regard, several training sessions are held regularly during the year, addressing, with an eminently practical approach, concepts on personal finance (operations with demand accounts, cards, etc.), security and cyber-risk prevention, as well as other aspects when performing online transactions and operations, especially in the digital banking environment (apps and websites) and ATMs.
During these sessions, participants are also provided with the use of technological tools and resources that allow them to carry out the most common transactions, such as bank app and ATM simulators developed by Edufinet, in collaboration with Funcas Educa, as well as tablets equipped with those simulators. With those tools, based on real devices under the generic brand of 'Edufibank', they can directly put into practice the knowledge acquired, contributing, at the same time, to facilitate their transition to the digital and technological framework.
In parallel to these specific sessions, this project also promotes the insertion and training of 'ambassadors' in different towns and villages, as a unique and novel initiative. This is a figure with a vocation to remain, whose role is played by people who, on a voluntary basis, act as liaisons with people over 60 years of age to learn first-hand about their main concerns and needs, thus making it possible to improve and adapt, at all times, the contents taught by the Edufinet team to this group.
Specifically, during the 2023-2024 academic year, a total of 6,144 people benefited from the 'Ambassadors Project (Financial Education for Senior Citizens)' during 168 sessions, with more than 300 hours of training, which were given by 15 trainers. In addition, a total of 11,421 people viewed 20 online sessions, in which a total of 483 seniors were enrolled.
Edufinet Project, a pioneering initiative
The Edufinet Project, which will celebrate two decades of existence in 2025, is one of the pioneering financial education programs in Spain. It currently has the collaboration of a dozen institutions and business organizations, as well as 17 universities.
Its website (www.edufinet.com) offers a wide variety of content, with practical and educational information on the financial world, which can be consulted through different sections (Edufinext, Edufiemp, Edufitech, Edufiblog, Edufisport, Edufiagro and Edufiacademics). Other lines of action include courses and conferences (in-person and online) and publications, in addition to the educational work carried out through its social media profiles (YouTube, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok) and the podcast platforms iVoox and Spotify.
Since it was launched, almost 260,000 people have participated in person in the various seminars, workshops, courses and conferences it has organized. To date, its web pages have accumulated more than 20 million visits, with access from almost 180 countries.
Its work has been recognized during this time with various awards, including several distinctions in the CECA Social Work and Financial Education Awards, as well as the Finance for All 2024 Award, granted by the Financial Education Plan, in the category of best financial education initiative developed by non-collaborators.
