Understanding how we make choices can help us make better decisions. Knowing that every decision has a consequence yields more thoughtful consideration - be it on what to spend, how to save, or how to maximize available resources and opportunities.

Economic education teaches students to think critically and logically, and to make the thoughtful choices that will result in financial and personal success.

October is Economic Education Month - a celebration of the kind of work we do every day in classrooms and with 1,800+ teachers per year across Maryland: ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge necessary to make the decisions that positively impact their finances. 

Here are a few ways we’re celebrating Economic Education Month:

• Resources: Our Economic Education Month Calendar features daily resources, insightful videos, engaging lesson plans and fun quizzes to support students and educators of all subjects in economic education. Find it here. 

• Evening at the Fed: On October 13, educators will explore how to identify and understand economic topics in the news at this free, special event. Adam Scavette, Regional Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Baltimore Branch will provide insight, and supporting teaching materials and resources are included!Register here. 

• Montgomery County Family Financial Nights: In partnership with Wells Fargo, we’re hosting a Family Financial Fun Night for families with students enrolled at Piney Branch Elementary and Takoma Park Elementary school in Montgomery County on October 20 and 27th to build understanding of personal finance through interactive games and simulations that explore ideas like the meaning of money, affordability, and earning power! 

• Update on Maryland Economy: On October 27, join Towson University Vice President and noted economist, Dr. Daraius Irani, as he shares his thoughts on the current State of Maryland's Economy.Register for this virtual event here.

MCEE’s mission to help ensure Maryland students leave high school equipped with the economic and personal finance knowledge and decision making skills necessary to succeed in life is only possible thanks to our supporters and sponsors.

Bank of America has been one of those generous supporters of MCEE for nearly 20 years. Through its partnership with MCEE, Bank of America fulfills the goals both organizations share: to make financial lives better, believing that financial education is vital for youth and empowers them to take control of their financial futures.

Bank of America is committed to responsible growth, which includes strengthening and sharing its success with the many communities it serves. That commitment is embedded across Bank of America’s business and philanthropic efforts, aiming to advance the financial mobility of the clients and communities it works with.

Bank of America’s Better Money Habits program educates high school students about smart financial decisions, putting them on a path to financial independence and providing greater economic opportunity. MCEE makes this excellent interactive resource available to teachers as they teach topics like saving, investing, and responsible use of credit. It is infused in MCEE educator professional development experiences - both through workshops and online. Bank of America volunteers also engage with students directly through classroom visits where they share tips and expertise around personal finance.

“Bank of America’s partnership with the Maryland Council on Economic Education expands access to financial education for Maryland students,” said Janet Currie, President, Bank of America Greater Maryland. “MCEE is providing the youth in our community with the tools and resources they need to build their financial know-how, which will help advance economic mobility in the region.”

To learn more about Bank of America and their philanthropic work, visit https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact.

MCEE is excited to announce the expansion of its Education Team. To better accommodate the growing needs of Maryland educators and students, MCEE has created two new, leadership-level positions and appointed two experienced professionals: Mary Metzler, a long-time MCEE staff member, is now Director of Student Programs; and George Toepher is the new Director of Teacher Education.

As Director of Student Programs, Mary Metzler will enhance how MCEE student experiences, such as the Stock Market Game and the Personal Finance Challenge, align with classroom instruction, and engage students in learning to stimulate long-term behavioral change.  Over the last two years, Mary has been so successful in improving the instructional resources and teacher support for these programs. MCEE has asked her to focus all of her talents in the continual enhancement of these opportunities.

Prior to joining MCEE, Mary taught business management, economics, and accounting in Howard County Public Schools. She is also an adjunct instructor for Howard Community College where she teaches Introduction to Business Management and Organization. As a former teacher who used MCEE programs as a learning tool in her classes, Mary understands the value of participatory personal finance activities and the support that teachers need to best employ them.

As Director of Teacher Education, George Toepher will develop initiatives and relationships to offer Maryland’s teachers robust resources and professional development opportunities to improve the instruction of economics and personal finance across all content areas including dynamic workshops, professional development courses, courses for academic credit and other advanced educational programs.

George has more than 30 years of experience in education, having previously served as Supervisor of Social Studies at Harford County Public Schools (HCPS), and prior as a social studies teacher and department chairperson. The 2019 recipient of the Middle States Council for the Social Studies (MSCSS) Distinguished Service Award, George has vast expertise in interpreting our state education standards and developing educational opportunities for teachers that helps them understand the standards themselves, why they matter and how to teach them in engaging ways. He’s able to look beyond today to see what skills and knowledge teachers will need in the future and develop professional development opportunities that prepare them. With experience as both a classroom teacher and administrator, he understands the needs of both.

Said Julie Weaver, Executive Director of MCEE, “With these two incredibly talented leaders guiding our education team, Maryland teachers will have the opportunity, tools and support to deliver economic and personal finance education to students in ways that are interesting, impactful and aligned with state standards. Mary and George have the passion, the experience and the enthusiasm to excite teachers, and to use that excitement to make economic & financial education concepts relevant and meaningful to their students.” 

To learn more about MCEE and its programs, visit https://www.econed.org/.

How can educators help students navigate their way to financial independence? What do students need to know about budgeting and saving, and how can educators best teach them? 

On Wednesday, June 29, more than 60 of educators from across Maryland convened at Delta Baltimore Hunt Valley Hotel to answer those questions and more at MCEE’s annual Economic and Financial Education Summit for Teachers. The day-long event featured immersive workshops and group discussions that gave educators the opportunity to share and learn how to best ensure that Maryland students leave school prepared to pursue and reach their financial goals. 

In the workshop “Credit: What Do Students Need to Know About Budgeting?” participants explored how to conduct a budgeting simulation game in their classrooms by challenging students to choose a salaried job and “walk through” life and the financial decisions that come with it. In another session, “Get Insured: What Do Teenagers Need to Know About Risk Management,” educators were shown how to teach the most important elements students should know about insurance and rates. Other workshops covered teaching about globalization, how to best prepare students for the Stock Market Game, and using picture books to teach economics and personal finance. 

Throughout the day, educators collaborated, engaged with experts, and examined how to better deliver the crucially important economic education to Maryland’s children. 

The feedback from teachers at the Summit attests to the importance and success of the professional development experience.   Check out some testimonials, here:

Loretta Duppins, Prince George's County Teacher

Amanda Price, Calvert County Teacher

Three teams of high school students from Howard County vied for top honors June 4 and 5 in New York in the finals of two prestigious competitions: the National Personal Finance Challenge and the National Economics Challenge.

National Personal Finance Challenge: Students from the Application and Research Laboratory school in Ellicott City were first runner-up in the competition that showcased their knowledge of money management, including expertise in earning income, buying goods and services, saving, using credit, investing, as well as protecting and insuring.

In the competition hosted by the Maryland Council on Economic Education, the team beat out nearly 100 other teams to be statewide champions  - a significant increase in statewide participation from just 22 teams last year. The team went on to compete with winning teams from 4 other states in New York.

The students on the winning team were Nathaniel Sager, Noah Hoffman, Juniors: Anuj Alamasety and David Liu. Their advisor and coach was Dr. Maddie Halbach.

M&T Bank is the lead sponsor of the Maryland Personal Finance Challenge. Said Sherrice Davis:

VP and Community Reinvestment Officer for Baltimore, M&T Bank and a Board Member, Maryland Council on Economic Education, "At M&T Bank, we are committed to providing tools and through financial education, empowering our communities with knowledge to make forward-thinking choices in their daily lives. It’s our hope that every young person participating in the Personal Finance Challenge will better understand that achieving financial wellness is the foundation of a successful and stable future."

National Economics Challenge: Teams from Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City competed in the national finals in each of the two divisions after winning statewide competitions coordinated by the Maryland Council on Economic Education.

The team of Samuel Lieman, Saniya Mahate, John Michaels and Summit Sarkar placed second in the Adam Smith Division for advanced and returning competitors.

The team of Samidha Nageshwar, Hannah Seok, Yu Shin and Nandhu Manoj Pillai placed third in the David Ricardo Division for first-time Challenge competitors who have taken no more than one economics course.

The National Economics Challenge is the country’s only economics competition of its kind for high school students. It tests micro and macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy. 

All teams participating in the finals received an all-expense paid trip to New York for the competition, a trophy, banner, and a cash prize.

The Enquirer Gazette --  One team of Prince George’s County high school students was recently named winners of the Stock Market Game,a financial literacy competition and simulation organized by the Maryland Council on Economic Education. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in May.
The Stock Market Game is an educational simulation that teaches about the world of investing, the American economic system and the global economy. Students work in teams to invest and manage an imaginary $100,000portfolio while developing skills in math, teamwork, research and critical thinking.
The winning students from Prince George’s County are Zaniyah Brockington, Antonio Charles, and Kamyra Jennings from Crossland High School in Camp Springs. The team, sponsored by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), were named southern region winners of the spring Stock Market Game™ (SMG). They grew their portfolio from $100,000 to $129,217. See full article here

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – One Calvert County team of middle school students and one individual middle school student have been named winners in regional and statewide competitions organized by the Maryland Council on Economic Education. The winners of the economics and financial literacy challenges were announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.  Click here for complete article

AWARDS EVENT PRESS RELEASE       

STUDENTS FROM ACROSS MARYLAND WIN STATEWIDE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ECONOMICS COMPETITIONS

More than 100 elementary, middle and high school students from 13 Maryland counties were honored on Wednesday, May 18 2022, by the Maryland Council on Economic Education (MCEE) as winners of its statewide financial literacy and economics competitions. The students were celebrated at an annual luncheon and awards ceremony - MCEE’s first in-person awards ceremony in three years - attended by more than 200 guests at Towson University.

Nearly 20,000 students from 20 Maryland counties and Baltimore City participated in the MCEE-organized competitions this school year - the most students ever participating in MCEE programs.

Awards were presented to winning students in these competitions:

• Stock Market Game™ is an educational simulation that teaches about the world of investing, the American economic system and the global economy. Students work in teams to invest and managing an imaginary $100,000 portfolio while developing skills in math, language arts, research and critical thinking.
• InvestWrite Essay Competition: a national writing competition that reinforces the economic concepts students learned by participating in the Stock Market Game™.     
• Maryland Personal Finance Challenge: an academic competition that provides high school  teams from across the state with the opportunity to learn and demonstrate knowledge and application of personal finance concepts during a one-day academic competition. The competition is sponsored by M&T Bank, StateFarm, First Financial Federal Credit Union, Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union, Towson University College of Business & Economics.
• The Maryland Economics Challenge: the only program of its kind that tests micro and        macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy in one-day competitions. 
• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: a creative competition where students demonstrate their understanding of economic concepts. 

The winning students, listed by county, are:

Anne Arundel County: 

• Stock Market Game™:
• • The team of Om Desai, Ethan Haslup, Ethan Howe, John Greenwalt, Ethan Nauroth, and Varesah Wilkerson from Arundel High School - high school state champions of the yearlong Stock Market Game™
  • The team of Koli Pendergraph, Alejandro Williamson, Zoey Zhangfrom Piney Orchard Elementary school in Odenton - elementary school Southern Region winners
  • A team of students from Central Middle School in Edgewater - middle school Spring state champions 
• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Sixth graders MeiHei Chan and Lillian Oberlander from Crofton Middle School, and second grader Carys Kuhn from Piney Orchard Elementary School 

Baltimore County:

• Stock Market Game™: 
• • The team of Benjamin Boxler, Raquel Okai, Ryan Okai from Sparks Elementary - elementary school state champions of the yearlong Stock Market Game™. The team is sponsored by First Financial Federal Credit Union.  
  • The team of Darren Hiller from Loyola Blakefield Middle School in Towson - middle school state champion of the yearlong Stock Market Game™. The team is sponsored by First Financial Federal Credit Union.   
  • The team of Henry Byran, Gavin Chung, Andrew Hanna, and Spencer Pettit from The Jemicy school in Owings Mills - middle school Northern Region winners of the Spring Stock Market Game™. 
• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Sixth grader Graham TerBeek from Dumbarton Middle School in Towson

Calvert County: 

• Stock Market Game™: The team of Kaylee Rossi and Samantha Winston from Northern Middle School in Owings - middle school Southern Region winners 
• Investwrite Essay Competition: Madalyn Sokolov from Northern Middle School - winner of the Grades 6-8 Division

Carroll County: 

• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Eighth graders Suniti Das and Caitlyn Dean from Sykesville Middle School

Dorchester County: 

• Financial LIteracy Poster Competition: second grader Addison Maier from South Dorchester School and third graders Kyla Jones and Kendall Bradford from North Dorchester Middle School

Frederick County: 

• Stock Market Game™: The team of Luke Adams, Zach Ahern, Oliver Ellison, and Xavier Phillips from Brunswick High School - high school Northern Region winners
• Financial LIteracy Poster Competition: Third grader Brianna Barth from Blue Heron Elementary School, third grader Ryan Robbins from Deer Crossing Elementary School, and first graders Izzy Hite and Wesley Hardin from Liberty Elementary School

Harford County:

• Stock Market Game™: 
• • The team of Lara Caba, Ella LaFleur, Isabella Watson from Homestead Wakefield Elementary School in Bel Air - elementary school state champions. The team is sponsored by APG Federal Credit Union.
  • A team of fifth graders from Roye Williams Elementary School in Havre de Grace - elementary school Northern Region winners. The team is sponsored by APG Federal Credit Union.
• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Third grader Jose Gable from Meadowvale Elementary School in Havre de Grace 

Howard County: 

• Stock Market Game™: The team of Courtney Brooks, Charlotte Mager, and Arnali Tellis from Bonnie Branch Middle School in Ellicott City - Central Region winners 
• Maryland Personal Financial Challenge: The “AOF1” Team ”of Nathaniel Sager, Noah Hoffman, Anuj Alamasety, and David Liu from Applications and Research Lab in Ellicott City 
•  Maryland Economics Challenge
• • The “Hayek’s Hammer” Team'' of Dhishan Reddy, Summit Sarkar, David Lieman, and Sahith Mada - juniors from Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City  - winner of the Adam Smith Division. 
  • The “Smith’s Scythe’s” Team” of Alex Nath, Diego Salamanca, and Nandhu Pillai - sophomores from Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City - winners of the David Ricardo Division.
• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Sixth graders Julie Gable and Varshini Padmanaban from Patapsco Middle School in Ellicott City
• Investwrite Essay Competition: Fifth grader Humza Nooruddin from Pointers Run Elementary School in Clarksville - winner of the Grades 4-5 Division

Montgomery County: 

• Stock Market Game™
• • A team of students from Clarksburg High School - spring high school state champions 
  • A team of students from Damascus High School - spring high school Central Region winners
    

Prince George’s County: 

• Stock Market Game™: one team of students from Crossland High School, sponsored by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) - Southern Region winners

Queen Anne’s County: 

• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Chloe Hernandez, a sixth-grader from Centreville Middle School

Wicomico County: 

• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: fourth graders Annie Richerson and Jeremy Quan from North Salisbury School

Worcester County: 

• Investwrite Essay Competition: 12th grader Gus Emm from Stephen Decatur High School - winner of the Grades 9-12 Division
• Financial Literacy Poster Competition: Seventh grader Marcella Alix from Snow Hill Middle School

Said Julie Weaver, MCEE Executive Director, “The winning students should be proud of this statewide honor. They have demonstrated their understanding of financial and economic concepts, as well as the importance for all students to learn about finances and how our economy works.”

The competitions are coordinated by the Maryland Council on Economic Education, the nearly 70 year-old nonprofit that assures that Maryland's school children leave high school equipped with the economic and financial literacy knowledge and decision-making skills they will need to make informed decisions as consumers, workers, citizens, savers, investors and participants in the global economy. In addition to student programs, MCEE offers free professional development and financial literacy education training and lesson plans for educators. Based on the campus of Towson University, MCEE supports more than 2,000 teachers each year who reach over 126,000 Maryland students. 

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MEDIA INFORMATION:

Garrett Berberich

Himmelrich PR

518-429-8661

Ramon Looby is president and chief executive of the Maryland Bankers Association. Julie Weaver is executive director of the Maryland Council on Economic Education.

To improve financial resiliency and build a brighter and more prosperous future for our children, the time is now to support expanded access to financial education for all students in Maryland.

In its latest state-by-state survey, the American Public Education Foundation gave Maryland a C grade for its stagnant implementation of financial literacy standards in schools. Unfortunately, this mediocre evaluation did not come as a surprise for many Maryland parents with school-age children. Despite being widely supported by parents and students, only eight of Maryland’s 24 public school systems have financial literacy graduation requirements mandating that students complete a financial literacy course before graduating from high school.

Click here for the full article

In honor of Financial Literacy Month, the Maryland Council for Economic Education (MCEE) is delivering a robust slate of programs and resources for students, educators and the public to raise awareness of and educate communities on the importance of Financial Literacy.

Financial Literacy Month, first celebrated nationally in 2004, brings attention to the importance of financial education which teaches the skills necessary to make smart financial decisions, including those related to banking and savings, student loans, homebuying, credit card debt, and personal budgeting.

MCEE’s Financial LIteracy Month initiatives include:

• Financial Literacy Month Resource Calendar: Packed with resources, this calendar features informational videos, educational activities, news stories on financial literacy topics, discussion prompts and games. Find it here: https://econed.org/Financial-Literacy/

• Weekly Financial Literacy Webinars: Every week, MCEE will hold FREE webinars on topics that support the Financial Literacy education of educators, students and the public. Webinars include:
  
• • Careers in Finance-Panel Discussion - March 30, 7-8pm: featuring representatives from State Farm Insurance, Paypal, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and McCormick, this panel will explore the variety of careers available in finance.
    
    • Understanding the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program - April 5, 7-8pm: this webinar guides educators in understanding and applying for student loan forgiveness. 

• Schemes and Scams - April 12, 7-8pm: Special Supervisory Agent Keith Custer from the FBI’s Complex Financial Crimes Unit will guide attendees on how to spot scams and safeguard their savings. Register here.
  

• Understanding the Financial EcoSystem - April 21, 5-6pm: Representatives from FINRA will guide teachers and students in an informational exploration of the financial landscape. Register here.
  

• Family Activities One-Pager: MCEE has created a one-pager featuring prompts and activity suggestions for families to complete and discuss at home to expand their financial literacy knowledge. Find it here. 

  To learn more about MCEE’s programs, visit https://www.econed.org/.