Al Salam Bank and Canadian School Bahrain Launch the Youth-Oriented ‘Junior Banking Program’

Al Salam Bank and Canadian School Bahrain (CSB), the first certified BC Curriculum school in Bahrain, have recently collaborated to launch the “Junior Banking Program”. The one-of-a-kind initiative aims to provide students with hands-on experience and develop their financial literacy skills from a young age, setting a solid foundation for a brighter future, embedding a heightened awareness of financial responsibility, and equipping students with core life skills in the likes of the basics of money management and healthy saving habits.

The application window for students to enrol is currently open, where the program is set to kick off in March 2022, with the inaugural program dedicated to students in grades 5 and 6.  In the future, the program will seek to maximize the number of graduates by tailoring the program across several academic levels, and expanding to include middle and high school students. 

A branch of Al Salam Bank will be set up at the Canadian School, educating primary school students with all the basic tasks of the employees that work at branches of any given bank such as client service representatives, branch managers, bank tellers, and CEO.  Each student will be assigned a specific task and taught the basics of the role, such as operating their own branch and taking deposits from their classmates. At the end of the program, each student will be awarded a certificate of participation from Al Salam Bank, setting them on the course for a bright career ahead. The program focuses on offering a rewarding experience all while endowing students from a young age with essential life skills, in the likes of learning how to save.

Commenting on the unique initiative launch, Ms. Abby Saadeh, Canadian school Bahrain Principal, commented, “As part of our continued efforts to explore new ways to enforce inquiry-based learning, we believe that this partnership with Al Salam Bank is a great opportunity for our students to use inquiry-based learning techniques. We invite both students and their parents to explore the “Junior Banking Program”

“Our collaborative efforts have gone into formulating a unique program, wherein the joint program offers a hands-on learning experience enabling them to gain real-life skills and enrich their financial literacy. As Al Salam Bank starts to receive our students’ applications to work at Al Salam Bank branch at CSB, we wish them the best of luck and looking forward to witnessing their success” added Ms. Abby Saadeh.

Commenting on the partnership, Mahmood Qannati, Head of Marketing and Communication at Al Salam Bank revealed, “We chose to collaborate with Canadian School Bahrain for this initiative in light of its certified, internationally renowned curriculum, based in British Columbia - Canada, dedicated to developing students who are confident in their culture, empowering them to achieve academic excellence through nurturing moral values of integrity, responsibility, respect and courage in an inclusive, supportive and welcoming atmosphere. By registering in this program, students will benefit from a hands-on learning experience and gain real-life skills, where for each task the students will receive guidance from an Al Salam Bank representative that will support the students’ learning journey, teaching them the basics on how to achieve each goal.” 

“The idea was to inspire the youth to develop valuable life and leadership skills at a young, impressionable age, enabling them to learn basic financial skills, as they navigate the ins-and-outs of running a bank in a fun and safe environment. Ultimately, this sets the groundwork for them to improve basic mathematics, learn real life skills, and most importantly, gain a sense of self-confidence and independence. At the end of the program, students will be taken to one of Al Salam Bank’s branches where they will have the exclusive opportunity to see real-time transactions and support Bank representatives in certain tasks.” Mahmood Qannati added.

This initiative comes in line with the Bank’s Brand DNA Guiding Pillar, ‘Inspire our People’, which is driven by the Bank’s human desire to make a difference in the lives of its people and the greater community. In light of the ethos of the aforementioned Principle, which underlines how Al Salam Bank prioritizes the wellbeing of its people by fostering a highly energetic and supportive work environment with a distinct culture of collaboration, founded on the principles of teamwork, transparency and mutual respect, enabling them with tools, resources and opportunities to succeed; the Bank aimed to reflect this ethos outwards for the benefit of the community at large, with a specific focus on the youth, thereby inspiring the generations of tomorrow.