The Central Bank in Your Classroom

A virtual or in-person presentation for high school, college and university students that introduces the Bank of Canada.

Learn more about the Bank of Canada and career paths in economics, finance and data analysis with this informative classroom presentation led by an employee of the central bank.

Overview

Grades

Grades 11 to 12 and post-secondary; Secondary Cycle Two, CEGEP and university

Big idea

As a central bank, the Bank of Canada plays a key role in Canada’s economy. The Bank has a diverse workforce with various skills to support its core functions.

Learning objectives

Students will:

• understand their role in the broader economy
• identify the core functions of the Bank of Canada
• distinguish the roles and responsibilities of a central bank from those of the government and commercial banks
• explore career paths in economics, finance, data analysis and communications

Curriculum links

Economics

• inflation targeting and interest rate decisions
• Canadian and international economic indicators
• monetary policy versus fiscal policy

Social studies

• the role of the Bank of Canada in the Canadian economy
• heritage and identity: portrait subjects and symbols on Canadian money

Careers

• career pathways for economics, finance and data analysis
• work trends and transferable skills
• skills, strategies and successful work habits

Duration

45 minutes to an hour

Availability

This classroom presentation is offered in two formats to your classroom or group:

• Virtual: available nationwide via Microsoft Teams
• In person: available in cities with a Bank of Canada office (Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, subject to staff availability)

Cost

All school programs are offered free of charge.

Group size

We require a minimum of 10 students per presentation.

Booking information

• Please suggest presentation dates that are at least four weeks in advance to allow for scheduling.
• We will review requests within 10 business days.
• While we will make all efforts to match a school with a speaker, the program is subject to availability of speakers.

Before your presentation

Virtual

• Send a Microsoft Teams link to the speaker or request a link from the speaker for your school.
• Test the meeting link. If security settings block access, email your presenter immediately with an alternative link.
• Ensure access to a stable internet connection and test your camera, speakers and microphone.
• Review the pre-presentation activities below to explore introductory concepts and activities.

In person

• Provide the speaker with the street address of the school (or other venue), including directions to the main entrance, information about the visitor registration process and the room number.
• Set up the room for the presentation with a projector, speakers and an HDMI cable/output for the presenter’s laptop.
• Provide guest Wi-Fi access or credentials for the speaker to use.

Pre-presentation activities

Try out the following activities in advance of your presentation:

• Watch the video A Canadian Central Bank: The History of the Bank of Canada on why the Bank of Canada was created and its role in the Canadian economy (four minutes).
• Learn more about the work of an economist with Think Like an Economist, a video featuring Bank of Canada staff (four minutes).
• Listen to the Governor of the Bank of Canada answer some key questions about inflation in the video Staying Ahead of Inflation (two minutes).
• Explore Canadian economic datasets and boost your data literacy with Decoding Canadian Economic Data, a lesson plan about the Bank’s core functions.
• Use our lesson plan Price Check: Inflation in Canada to explore inflation and have students create their own student price index to measure the prices of goods they consume.