Unfortunately, many adults teach young people that having debts is a normal thing. While business and economic issues are discussed in classrooms, practical links are often missing. What exactly does it mean when you use your bank overdraft? What should you do when the ATM refuses to give you any more money?

To help young people learn how to deal with money responsibly, the Deutsche Bank Foundation launched the "General financial education" initiative in 2005. It is aimed at students who are about to leave school. "It is especially important to teach basic economics on the threshold between school and career education or university," says Michael Münch of the Deutsche Bank Foundation's board. "We want to enable young people take their current and future financial planning into their own hands in a responsible manner."

Within the framework of this initiative, customer service representatives of Deutsche Bank visit schools and answer any and all financial and fiscal questions students might have. Bank staff take a day off from their regular duties to visit the schools. Each employee visits up to four schools a year and 120 representatives received special training for the initiative by May 2007.

This educational project is one of three initiatives with which the Foundation hopes to boost interest in business affairs among young people. Their success is due in large part to Deutsche Bank staff, who act as mentors in the projects. The students receive basic financial instruction and are encouraged to show initiative and take an active role in organising their lives.

The international project "Youth – School – Business", in which students develop international business topics and present them in both the local media and in school papers, has similar aims. At the "Youth Banks" supported by the Foundation, young people help others in their age group to realise their own projects with start-up funding and comprehensive advice.