Finland’s European Money Quiz finalists bank on teamwork and speed in Brussels

• The Europe-wide financial literacy competition European Money Quiz (EMQ) will be held in Brussels on 18–19 May.
• Finland’s representatives in the competition are Roosa Tervo and Milja-Sofia Karjalainen from Lumijoki School.
• The EMQ has competitors aged 13–15 from more than 30 countries.
• The EMQ finals are played on the Kahoot! platform, which measures both accuracy and speed with twenty multiple-choice questions.
• The EMQ is organised by the European Banking Federation (EBF). Finance Finland is a member of the EBF.

Eight-grade pupils Roosa Tervo and Milja-Sofia Karjalainen from Lumijoki School are excited about their upcoming trip to Brussels.

“We were simply astonished to hear that we had made it all the way to the finals. When we entered the competition, simply making it to the national finals of Finance Hero in Helsinki already felt like a huge achievement. Winning the competition and earning the opportunity to go to Brussels were beyond anything we had even dared to imagine”, Tervo and Karjalainen say.

A team of five pupils from Lumijoki School took part in the Finance Hero finals in March. However, as each country can only have two representatives in Brussels, the team had to decide which two of them would go. This was not the easiest task.

“Our guidance counsellor and headteacher helped with the selection process. The criteria included proficiency in mathematics and English, as well as courage, communication skills and experience in public speaking. We were so happy when the choice ultimately fell on the two of us”, Tervo and Karjalainen say.

In addition to the EMQ competition, the girls’ agenda in Brussels includes visits to the interactive and digital centre for financial education WikiFin Lab and the European Parliament’s visitor centre Parlamentarium. These visits and activities also offer the chance to meet the other teams.

“We’re looking forward to new and exciting experiences and learning more about how the European Parliament works”, Tervo and Karjalainen say.

The European Money Quiz is not only a test of knowledge but also of speed. The finals are played on the Kahoot! platform, where participants select the correct answer from four options, and points are awarded for both accuracy and speed. The Lumijoki School representatives say they will be travelling to Brussels with a positive attitude and a strong emphasis on teamwork.

“We’re preparing for the competition by reviewing previous years’ questions and practising maths problems together. We will be giving our best, and that will be enough”, the girls say.

The team is accompanied to the finals by their teacher, Eveliina Vehkala, and Emilia Peikola, Finance Finland’s events and communications specialist, who coordinates the competition.

“The EMQ trip to Brussels offers the participants memorable moments, opportunities to challenge themselves and the chance to make new friends. Winning is not the most important thing. What matters most is that the competition gives young people the opportunity to develop their financial literacy and gain valuable experiences”, Peikola says.

The EMQ is organised by the European Banking Federation (EBF). Finance Finland is a member of the EBF.