Start Your Teen's Financial Future Today!

Help your teen take their first step toward financial independence by opening a teen checking account. It's the perfect way (1) _______ them essential money management skills like saving, spending, and budgeting.

Choose an account with no fees, no minimum balances, and a helpful banking app. As a joint account holder, you can (2) _______ their spending, receive transaction alerts, and guide them as they learn. You'll have the option to (3) _______ transaction alerts and discuss important topics like the difference between “wants” and “needs.”

A teen checking account can even help them grow their savings with interest. Plus, this is a great opportunity to compare savings and (4) _______ options together.

When your teen turns 18, decide (5) _______ to stay on the account or let them manage it on their own.

Start building their financial future today! Visit a branch near you or apply online to help your teen build (6) _______.

➤ Equip the Next Generation with Soft Skills for Success!

As we prepare young people for the workforce, teaching soft skills is (1) _______ as technical knowledge. Skills like communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence (2) _______ by employers and critical for navigating today's work environments.

Imagine a skilled software developer (3) _______ struggles to share their ideas. Without effective communication, their innovative solutions might go unnoticed. (4) _______, a developer with strong soft skills can collaborate, express their vision, and create a positive impact in the workplace.

How to Build Soft Skills

➤ Teamwork: Encourage group activities like projects, sports, or clubs.

➤ Communication: Foster open discussions and teach active listening.

➤ Problem-Solving: Present real-world challenges requiring creative (5) _______.

➤ Adaptability: Expose young people to new situations to build resilience.

➤ Emotional Intelligence: Help them manage emotions and empathise with (6) _______.

Let's equip the next generation with skills for life!

Venice and its Lagoon: UNESCO's Efforts to Protect a Heritage Site

Venice and its Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, face serious challenges today. (1) _______, has damaged the city's environment. New developments have also increased risks to its cultural heritage.

(2) _______, Venice is also dealing with the effects of climate change. The Mediterranean region now faces heavier rains and more frequent floods, which make the city even more vulnerable. Other sites, like Matera in Southern Italy, are also affected by these extreme weather events, (3) _______.

UNESCO is working closely with Italian authorities and experts to find solutions to these problems. (4) _______. Until then, UNESCO is discussing possible support with the local government.

(5) _______. These efforts will ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy this amazing city.

Biodiversity conservation

1. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre works to protect the world's natural and cultural heritage and promote sustainable development. It achieves this by applying the World Heritage Convention worldwide. Its main tasks include monitoring the condition of heritage sites, providing technical support to countries, training conservation experts, and managing projects to ensure heritage is preserved for future generations.

2. Since 2002, the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative has focused on conserving forests in the Congo Basin. This program improves the management of World Heritage sites and integrates them into the region's ecological systems. UNESCO also supports protecting endangered species, like elephants and giraffes, in areas such as the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger) and Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Community-based efforts, such as those in Lake Malawi National Park, protect unique biodiversity, including the lake's fish species.

3. In emergencies like natural disasters and conflicts, UNESCO provides support through the Rapid Response Facility. This program has helped protect over 25 sites covering 300,000 km². For example, in Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park (Central African Republic), UNESCO helped wildlife recover after years of civil unrest.

4. Working with local communities is a key part of the World Heritage Convention. UNESCO launched the Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation initiative in 2000 to support sustainable community projects, such as those in Botswana's Okavango Delta and the Maloti-Drakensberg Park in South Africa and Lesotho.

5. The World Heritage Marine Programme, started in 2005, protects marine areas of global importance. Efforts include monitoring conservation, promoting coral reef resilience, and using environmental DNA research to address climate challenges. These initiatives aim to preserve marine heritage for future generations.

1. Failure and disappointment can teach teenagers essential life skills. [I] One of these is responsibility, which involves acting independently without external guidance. [II] Responsibility develops through internal motivation, which grows when teens are held accountable for both their successes and mistakes. [III] However, allowing teens to experience the discomfort of their mistakes can motivate them to make better decisions in the future. [IV]

2. Managing negative emotions, such as frustration, sadness, or anger, is another crucial skill teens learn through failure. These feelings are a natural part of life, and it's important for teens to learn how to function despite them. By experiencing setbacks, teens build resilience and emotional strength. If they are always protected from failure, they may struggle to cope with challenges later in life. Letting teens face failure helps them develop the skills needed to recover and try again.

3. Life often doesn't go as planned, and the ability to adapt to unexpected changes is vital. Teens must learn to adjust, reprioritize, and solve problems when things don't work out. If parents step in to fix their plans or prevent them from failing, teens miss opportunities to develop flexibility. Letting them make mistakes helps them develop the ability to handle unexpected situations.

4. Encouraging teens to take risks and try new things helps them grow creatively and intellectually. A fear of failure can stifle their creativity and exploration. Teens who are allowed to fail and learn from their mistakes gain confidence, independence, and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. By supporting them through their setbacks and encouraging them to try again, parents help create a generation of resilient, innovative individuals ready to make a positive impact.