FWD Group Holdings Limited ("FWD Group" or "FWD") has announced a three-year extension of its partnership with JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide a youth-focused charity and Nobel Peace Prize 2025 nomineeto further expand access to financial literacy education for an additional 40,000 students across Asia by the end of 2027. This effort is part of the award-winning JA SparktheDream program.
JA SparktheDream is designed to equip students aged 9 and above with essential financial knowledge, along with life and social skills, through engaging, participatory learning experiences. These include interactive games, digital activities, and classroom instruction, supported by FWD employee volunteers across eight Asian countries. Under the next phase of the program (2025-2027), the initiative aims to reach 40,000 more students, enhance the involvement of parents and teachers, and introduce new modules that promote mental wellness and emotional resilience.
Between 2022 and 2024, the collaboration between FWD Group and JA Asia PacificJA Worldwide's regional operating centersuccessfully reached over 37,000 students, surpassing initial targets by 49%. Results showed that 88% of participating students reported an increased understanding of money's role in daily life, while 80% developed greater awareness of their community's needs. In addition, more than 1,650 students took part in the JA SparktheDream Social Challenge, which encourages creative problem-solving and real-world application of financial knowledge within their own communities.
In Thailand, FWD Life Insurance Plc. ("FWD Insurance") is now in its third year of implementing JA SparktheDream, aiming to educate 1,000 upper primary school students in Bangkok this year, supported by 200 FWD Insurance employee volunteers. The goal is to impart practical financial knowledge in a fun, engaging, and accessible way that can be readily applied in everyday life, while inspiring the next generation.
Mr. David Koruni?, Chief Executive Officer for Thailand & Cambodia, FWD Life Insurance Plc., stated: "Youth are the cornerstone of sustainable social development. Over the past two years in Thailand, we have engaged over 3,000 students from 27 schools across Bangkok and its surrounding areas, with more than 300 FWD Insurance volunteers participating. This initiative has provided children with foundational financial literacy and life skills, empowering them to build a stable and secure future."
Mr. Thada Savetsila, Board Chairman, Junior Achievement Thailand ("JA Thailand"), commented: "Since the first year of our collaboration, we have seen consistent progress and growing engagement. JA SparktheDream has proven that cultivating financial literacy from a young age leads to meaningful, long-term impactespecially with a committed partner like FWD Insurance. We are confident that the third year will extend our reach to even more Thai youth and bring about positive, lasting change."
The JA SparktheDream curriculum is tailored for primary school students and covers four core areas: Saving, Earning, Spending, and Sharing. These themes are delivered through economic and financial literacy concepts presented in an accessible way via role-playing, simulations, games, and quizzesallowing students to learn through real-life experiences, understand the value of money, and develop smart spending habits.