By Jorge Morales Madrid | Executive Director
Thanks to your support, we are continuing to strengthen financial education through approaches that are both engaging and evidence-based. A recent experimental evaluation in Chile found that playing FinanCity improved students’ financial knowledge and financial attitudes, offering concrete evidence that game-based learning can make financial education more meaningful and effective in school settings.
The study compared classes that used FinanCity with control classes that continued their regular routines. Surveys were applied before and after implementation, allowing the team to estimate the game’s effect on key dimensions of financial literacy. The evaluation included schools in the Maule, Biobío, and Ñuble regions and examined areas such as financial knowledge, attitudes, saving, financial behavior, and perceptions about money and well-being.
The findings were especially encouraging in the short term. Students who played FinanCity showed statistically significant gains in two core areas: financial knowledge increased by 14.7%, and financial attitudes increased by 9.7%, compared with the control group. The effect was even stronger among primary school students.
The study also suggests that repeated exposure matters. Among students who reported playing three or more times, the evaluation found significant improvements not only in attitudes, but also in saving and financial behavior. This reinforces an important lesson for our work: when playful learning experiences are sustained over time, they can help build stronger habits and decision-making skills.
These results are helping us move from pedagogical conviction to measurable evidence. FinanCity is part of Fundación Entrepreneur’s Financial Education Program within Plan País Juega y Aprende, which promotes financial capabilities through playful methodologies, teacher training, and meaningful learning experiences. The study, prepared by Leopoldo Lazcano Maturana of Stockholm University, gives us a stronger foundation to continue expanding financial education with evidence in school communities.
Thank you for being part of this effort. Your support helps us not only reach students with innovative learning experiences, but also generate evidence that can strengthen and scale better financial education opportunities for more school communities in Chile.
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