To grant Australian kids access to financial education while maintaining the engaging learning experience associated with the Start Smart programme we developed ‘The Teleporter Adventures’. A first of its kind VR app and storybook platform designed to impart financial lessons through immersive storytelling. The book, Sammy the Space Koala, follows the story of koala Sammy, who travels through the galaxy in search of a magical present for her Grandma’s birthday. Throughout the journey children are invited to participate in virtual reality activities, learning important lessons around financial ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

To create the storybook, we collaborated with award-winning Australian author Ursula Dubosarsky. The storybook is accompanied by a smartphone app (available on iOS and Android) and Google Cardboard headset, which kids use to teleport into the virtual reality chapters of the story.

So far over 100,000 Teleporters have been delivered to kids around Australia.

The initiative was launched as a pilot in October 2016 to students from 21 primary schools, with metropolitan, regional and remote rural areas across the continent.

The Teleporter Adventures are now an ongoing platform from Commonwealth Bank

Which will deliver financial education into the hands of Australian kids everywhere.

• 97% of participants completed the full experience, and 76% did it more than once.

• Of those children who didn’t know the difference between a need and a want before the experience, 93% understood this concept after completing the experience.

• 98% of participants felt more favourable towards CommBank after completing the experience, and would like to participate in future Start Smart initiatives.

• 100% of participants would be interested in other technology based experiences to continue their child’s financial education learning.

• Average time in app = 11 minutes**

• Verbatims from parent:

o “My kid learned more about finance in 10 minutes on another planet than he has in 5 years on earth.”

o “Love how it engaged my daughter and helped us discuss best use Sammy's coins and wise financial decisions. She's been repeating Kip's mantra ever since!”

*Source: Parent & Teacher survey, Oct 2016

**Google Analytics, Nov 2016