By Andrew Hill, Economic Education Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; and Adjunct Professor of Economics at Temple University.

Cocktail party conversation can often be difficult for even the most adept conversationalists among us. When meeting new people, an unavoidable topic is always what you do for a living. I was trained in graduate school to expect people to respond in unpredictable ways when I explain that I am an economist. Read more…

POSTED: April 30, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: Councils & Centers, economics, Federal Reserve, Financial Literacy, financial literacy month, parents, partners, personal finance, Students, teachers

By Shannon Schuyler, U.S. Corporate Responsibility Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

I come from a family of educators. While I didn’t choose a similar career path, some might find it ironic that I devote as much time as I can to connecting with teachers to better understand the challenges they face, particularly as it relates to teaching financial literacy. Their perspective informs the solution.

Trust me when I tell you that there is no shortage of teachers out there with a desire to help prepare their “kids” to make responsible financial decisions. The recent financial crisis made it very apparent that our individual financial well being is a responsibility each of us must own, and that starts with understanding from an early age how our choices impact our financial stability. Read more…

POSTED: April 29, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: corporate responsibility, Financial Literacy, financial literacy month, personal finance, teachers

By Joan Rosenbaum, 5th Grade Social Studies and Economics Teacher, North Star Public Charter School, Idaho.

Every year I take my students through a personal financing/budgeting unit, and I try to make it as real as possible. I am fortunate to have a guest speaker come to my classroom and explain the importance of having good insurance, which is definitely an important part of one’s budget.

One year I had a student who came to me and told me he didn’t want to pay for insurance. I asked him if he was really sure he wanted go through life without insurance. He told me he thought it would be a waste of his money. Since economics has everything to do with choices, I agreed to let him not pay insurance, but asked him if he was really sure about his choice he was making. He assured me that he did not want to include that in his budget. Read more…

POSTED: April 26, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: economics, Financial Literacy, financial literacy month, insurance, Lessons, personal finance, Students, teachers

The Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati is celebrating Financial Literacy Month with a photo contest!

Please WEAR GREEN and encourage your colleagues, teachers, students and friends to join you. Post a picture on their Facebook Page and the photo with the most “LIKES” will win $50 Visa Gift Card. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 30.

Contest Details:
•    Submit Photos through Friday, April 26.
•    A gallery of photos will posted on the Center’s Facebook Page on Friday.
•    Vote for your favorite photo Friday, April 26 – Monday, April 29.
•    Winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 30!

Good luck, and thanks for supporting Financial Literacy Month!

POSTED: April 24, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: Contest, Councils & Centers, Financial Literacy, financial literacy month, Students, teachers

By Leslie Sutton, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Discover

April’s designation as national financial literacy month is significant because it brings necessary attention to the fact that so many Americans today lack the training to manage their personal finances effectively. Discover is committed to addressing that and has been working with CEE to help students.

Our financial education program, Pathway to Financial Success, has helped bring related curriculum into more than 200 schools public high schools across the country since 2012. But more remains to be done. In two months, many students will be graduating. The question is: Are they prepared? Do they have the skills necessary to succeed? Read more…

POSTED: April 24, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: awkward conversations, Financial Literacy, financial literacy month, High School, personal finance, Professional Development, survey, teachers, teens and money

First Financial Federal Credit Union features CEE’s new National Standards for Financial Literacy on their site.

“In coming weeks and months, a new set of standards for financial literacy will cross the desks of educators across the country. The hope is that schools will embrace these guideposts and begin to wedge money lessons into students’ daily activities.

The Council for Economic Education, a nonprofit promoting financial education, developed the new standards at the request of and with input from educators at all levels. “We have a specific plan to go state by state and get these implemented,” says Nan Morrison, CEO of the council.”

Read the full story here.

POSTED: April 19, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: CEO, Financial Literacy, National Standards for Financial Literacy, partners, personal finance, Students, teachers