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Last month, Southern Maryland News published MCEE Executive Director Julie Weaver's letter to the editor about how Southern Maryland sets an example in personal finance and economics education for the rest of the state. Kudos to Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties for ensuring students access the economics education they need to lead successful, financially secure lives. Read the letter here.
The generous support and partnership of our sponsors allows us to deliver personal finance and economics education that has an impact. When that support comes from partners whose business emphasizes education, the impact is even greater! First Financial Federal Credit Union is a perfect example.
Founded nearly 70 years ago by a Baltimore County Public School math teacher, First Financial understands that the best way for young adults to become financially independent is to provide educators with resources to teach these valuable skills.
More than a third of First Financial’s customer base works in fields relating to education, so the not-for-profit financial institution prioritizes community partnerships and sponsorships that directly support them.
For more than 20 years, First Financial has supported MCEE. Thanks to their partnership, every student in their service area can access MCEE’s Stock Market Game lesson plans and classroom activities (find them here!). And First Financial employees and families regularly volunteer at MCEE programs and events.
In addition to its collaboration with MCEE, First Financial delivers regular webinars and presentations to more than 10,000 students a year as part of its Financial Wellness initiative. The program covers important finance basics like credit scores, car-buying, and mortgages. Find it here.
“Our partnership with MCEE supports First Financial’s mission to provide our members and local community with resources to build a life of financial freedom” stated Eric Church, First Financial FCU President/CEO. “We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with quality organizations like MCEE, who share our dedication to financial wellness which ultimately makes a better, stronger community for all.”
This kind of like-minded commitment to improving the financial futures of our students is game-changing for MCEE. To learn more about First Financial Federal Credit Union’s community initiatives, visit www.firstfinancial.org/community
SALISBURY, MD---While most high schoolers depend on allowances and part-time jobs for spending money, 19 students from Parkside High School recently learned how investments also can pay off, thanks to Salisbury University’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business, in partnership with the Maryland Council on Economic Education (MCEE).
Through the Stock Market Game, an applied financial literacy simulation program managed by MCEE, students received hands-on training in market analysis, fundamental analysis of selecting stocks and making investment decisions.
“Previously, Wicomico County Public Schools students would travel to Towson University [in Baltimore County] to participate in this program,” said Dr. Leonard Arvi, SU professor of finance, who led the training. “With the support of MCEE, we are able to provide the same opportunity to our local public-school students.”
MCEE, a non-profit organization working with educators and students throughout Maryland to ensure access to high-quality economics and personal finance education, coordinated the field trip for the Parkside students. Also in attendance were Parkside High School teachers Jennifer Pariseau and Pamela Bryan, as well as Julie Weaver, MCEE executive director.
After the training and presentation, students received a campus tour of SU, followed by lunch at the University’s Commons, for many it was their first visit to a college campus.
“This initiative is part of SU’s community outreach and highlighting SU as a potential college choice for them,” Leonard said.
The program was made possible through funding support from Dr. Christy Weer, dean of the Perdue School, and Dr. Karen Olmstead, SU provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
While this was the first-time high school students have used the Stock Market Game at SU, Arvi hopes to expand the program to accommodate more students, including those from other area schools, in the future.
Learn more about opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at www.salisbury.edu.
Sponsors make our work possible. Without their support, our support of thousands of Maryland students and educators around personal finance and economic education wouldn't be possible. This month, we’re highlighting State Farm - a longtime supporter of MCEE.
State Farm is committed to supporting organizations and initiatives that enhance the education of the communities where it works. And according to Dwayne Redd, a State Farm Analyst, Corporate Responsibility, the company’s support of MCEE was natural. “We believe education - especially financial education, is crucial,” explained Redd. “We’re proud to support an organization like MCEE in helping students build that foundation of financial understanding that will help them throughout life.”
In addition to its general operating support of MCEE, State Farm sponsors MCEE’s Personal Finance Challenge, allowing us to organize the one-day competition for hundreds of students across Maryland, and make sure teachers have resources and guidance to leverage the experience for classroom learning.
“The Personal Finance Challenge pushes a student into the arena and helps them take the opportunity to engross themselves in the topic while getting hands-on learning experience. It’s an impactful program,” said Dwayne.
State Farm also supports the Economic & Financial Education Summit for teachers, where Maryland educators meet each summer to share ideas, network, and learn trends and techniques in financial education.
Beyond program sponsorship, State Farm gets involved. Their agents have joined MCEE-led leadership panels on women in business, served as judges for the Personal Finance Challenge, and led workshops at the Summit on what teenagers need to know about insurance.
“It is a pleasure to support initiatives that allow for educator growth and hands-on student learning,” said Mr. Redd. “We’re thrilled with the work MCEE does, and we couldn’t be happier to partner with them.”
To learn more about State Farm’s community support initiatives, visit https://www.statefarm.com/about-us/corporate-responsibility
Economic education teaches students to think critically and logically, and to make the thoughtful choices that will result in financial and personal success.
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.
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.”
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.”
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?
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.
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
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
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