A CBCS official interacts with students.
PHILIPSBURG--The Central Bank of Curaçao and St Maarten (CBCS) has rolled out the educational project “Money Week” to primary schools in St Maarten and Curaçao this week.
With this initiative, the CBCS aims to make children aware of the value of money, saving, and making financial choices at a young age. During this week, all primary schools will receive a number of cash boxes containing play money banknotes and coins of the Caribbean guilder.
Teachers can use these cash boxes during math lessons to cover money and financial topics in a playful and practical way. The opening of Money Week took place in St Maarten at the Oranje Primary School. There, CBCS St Maarten interim director Dwayne President and Minister of Education Melissa Gumbs jointly delivered a guest lecture to the children of group 5 at the school.
Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs and CBCS employee Ghyslaine Rollocks-Petrona also contributed to the kick-off with a guest lecture at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School.
During these guest lectures, students learn more about the new Caribbean guilder, and responsible money management is discussed in an interactive way.
In Curaçao, the Money Week was also festively opened with a guest lecture by CBCS President Richard Doornbosch together with Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas and CBCS employee Shekinah Dare at Kolegio San Hosé in Barber. The closing of the Money Week takes place on Friday, March 27, at the Johan van Walbeeckschool, where Minister of Education Sithree van Heydoorn, together with CBCS Executive Director Leila Matroos-Lasten, will deliver the final guest lecture.
In addition to the opening and closing lectures, guest lectures will be given to group 5 students by CBCS staff at various schools in St Maarten and Curaçao later this week. The primary schools, that had previously been informed about the project, responded particularly enthusiastically to the initiative.
The CBCS said it received a large number of requests for guest lectures in a short period of time and is very pleased with this positive response from the schools. With the launch of this project, the CBCS underscores its commitment to promoting financial self reliance within the communities of St Maarten and Curaçao.
Based on this social responsibility, the Money Week – inspired by the Dutch version of the Money Week – has been included in the CBCS's strategic planning for 2026–2028. The Money Week takes place annually in the month of March; the first edition runs this year from March 23 up to and including March 27.
