Articles from Council for Economic Education

High school students who quickly answered tough questions posed to state-championship teams at the Council for Economic Education’s National Economics Challenge (NEC) finals may not change the world today.

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) has announced the appointment of four new members to its board of directors to bring the nonprofit an additional wealth of expertise in economics, finance, education and operations. The new board members are: John Y. Campbell, who is the Morton L. and Carole S. Olshan Professor of Economics at Harvard University; Susan deTray, executive vice president and head of Citizens Private Bank; Jim Evans, a chartered financial analyst (CFA), who was most recently at Morgan Stanley Investment Management; and Brad Maguth, professor in the LeBron James Family Foundation School of Education at the University of Akron.

With potential changes in economic policy on the horizon and financial pressures facing families across America, high school students and educators from coast to coast during October’s Economic Education Month have a new suite of enriching financial learning tools to help them understand their world and make better personal, family and civic decisions for life.

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Raphael Bostic, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, to its board of directors. With his extensive background in economics and public policy, Mr. Bostic brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization, further strengthening its mission to improve economic and financial literacy for K-12 students and educators.

Think fast!

Capping a school year of tremendous strides in requiring personal finance classes in America’s high schools, 35 teams gathered in Cleveland at the Council for Economic Education’s annual National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) showcased how understanding money management and making informed financial choices positions young people on paths to achieve their fullest potential.

Opportunities have greatly improved for young people across America to learn the essential personal finance knowledge they need to reach their full life-long economic potential. According to the Council for Economic Education’s latest biennial Survey of the States, more than two-thirds of all states are now requiring personal finance classes for high school graduation -- up dramatically from 2022 when fewer than half the states had such mandates. Of these, 15 states require a semester-long course on personal finance – our gold standard.

As Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida and more join the growing number of states requiring all high school students to study the essential life skills of personal finance, initiatives are also expanding to help thousands of teachers master new curriculum and build exceptional, relatable lesson plans.

With the nation’s leaders deeply divided over the federal budget and financial uncertainty facing families across America, high school students from coast to coast during October’s Economic Education Month will push educators and policymakers for access to the economic knowledge they need to evaluate what they see for themselves and for the economic skills they need to thrive now and into their futures.

Do you understand the concepts of earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit and managing risk? Were you ever offered the opportunity to learn finance essentials that can help you make the most of what you have -- or hope to achieve -- throughout your life?

Showcasing mastery of the economic knowledge that helps young people achieve financial goals throughout their lives, student teams from Carmel High School of Carmel, Indiana, and Mt. Hebron High School of Ellicott City, Maryland, each earned first place finishes in divisions of the Council for Economic Education’s 2023 National Economics Challenge (NEC). With support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, more than 6,500 high school students entered the unique competition that engages, motivates and rewards high school students for their knowledge of economic principles and the world’s changing global economy.

Ray Dalio, New York Times bestselling author and the founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, will host an exclusive “Lunch with Ray” auction to raise funds and bring attention to the importance of financial literacy for the next generation, underscoring his belief in the value of personal finance and economics education for young people.

Demonstrating winning knowledge of personal finance and economics that sets young people on paths to lifelong success, students from Land O’ Lakes High School in Florida, The Harker School in San Jose and St. John’s School in Houston scored top nationwide rankings in the National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) and two divisions of the National Economics Challenge (NEC) organized by the Council for Economic Education (CEE).

Despite advances in ensuring access to personal finance classes in K-12 schools, there’s troubling stagnation in equally important economics education, according to the 2022 Survey of the States: Economic and Personal Finance Education in Our Nation’s Schools by the Council for Economic Education (CEE).

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) has elected Rebecca Patterson, current CEE board member and chief investment strategist at Bridgewater Associates, its new board chairperson.

Understand why COVID-era shortages in the “global supply chain” and available workforce mean family groceries may cost so much more? Why you can’t find those new track shoes or that new video game console for months? Any clue what a $28 trillion national debt means for a student’s future?

To help expand access to financial education in K-12 schools around the country, the Council for Economic Education (CEE) has appointed three new corporate and organizational leaders to its board of directors. New board members include Lisa Banker of Wells Fargo, Rebecca Patterson of Bridgewater Associates and Kim Sharan, who serves on TIAA’s board of trustees.

Students from Millard North High School in Omaha, Neb., earned the top title in this year’s National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) for showcasing their understanding of an essential life skill: how to manage money, whether you have a lot of it or not much at all.

Jane N. Abitanta, founder and CEO of Perceval Associates, is joining the board of Invest in Girls (IIG). Abitanta brings more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and will play an integral role in broadening IIG’s scale to improve the lives of even more high school girls.