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Center for Economic Education at Virginia Tech

High School teacher and students in the library.

UPCOMING EVENT

Congrats to Dr. Cheryl Ayers, Virginia Tech Center for Economic Education, for the creation and implementation of the Online Entrepreneurship Institute for High School Teachers and the U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Examination.

Early registration is now open for Spring 2025. This free Institute is aligned with the U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Examination, equipping teachers with the content knowledge, instructional strategies, curriculum, and 400+ classroom-ready resources they need to prepare high school students to pass the Exam. 3-Hours of university undergraduate or graduate credit is optional. REGISTER HERE.

The U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Examination (USECE) is approved by the Board of Education in Virginia, as well as other states, helping prepare our nation’s students for the Innovation & Gig Economy.

The customized USECE assesses entrepreneurship knowledge, skills, and mindsets required for high school students and adult learners to successfully start a business in any career field, reducing the risk of business failure.  The USECE Is aligned with two free optional entrepreneurship credentials administered by My Own Business Institute (MOBI) at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley, California, that students may earn with little to no additional preparation and no additional cost.  Therefore, students may earn a total of three stackable entrepreneurship credentials.

These value-added entrepreneurship credentials are important in developing the workforce readiness skills and entrepreneurial mindsets required by today’s employers in the Innovation & Gig Economy while simultaneously equipping individuals with self-employment options for the future.

The Exam Resources Package includes a detailed Study Guide, 2 Practice Exams, a Reading Guide, a Vocabulary List, and an Exam Taker Guide.

For details and the free Exam Manual: https://www.pitsco.com/usece

ABOUT US

The Center for Economic Education at Virginia Tech provides resources for K-12 educators to effectively teach economics and personal finance to students in Virginia’s primary and secondary schools. The center provides K-12 curricula and activities, in-service training workshops, and graduate-credit courses for teachers.

The Virginia Tech Center for Economic Education is affiliated with the Virginia Council on Economic Education and the Council for Economic Education, as well as Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Educator Resources

Workshops provide an opportunity for teachers to brush up on their knowledge of basic economic and financial concepts, familiarize themselves with state requirements included in the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL), and obtain tools and ideas for teaching basic economic and financial concepts in a fun and engaging manner. Workshops can be used to provide in-service training and recertification credits for teachers.

The Center for Economic Education offers teacher training workshops which can be customized to meet the needs and interests of specific groups of teachers. Contact Cheryl Ayers for more information. 

The Center for Economic Education has a variety of resources available for borrowing free of charge. These e-materials are all designed to help teachers incorporate economics and personal finance into the current curriculum.

Materials from the lending library may be requested by emailing Cheryl Ayers.

Items include:

  • Curriculum guide and lesson plans for K-12;
  • Instructional videos;
  • Board and simulation games;
  • Stock Market Game resources

The Center for Economic Education has a variety of resources available for borrowing free of charge. These e-materials are all designed to help teachers incorporate economics and personal finance into the current curriculum.

Materials from the lending library may be requested by emailing Cheryl Ayers.

Items include:

  • Curriculum guide and lesson plans for K-12;
  • Instructional videos;
  • Board and simulation games;
  • Stock Market Game resources

The Center for Economic Education's staff members are available for school visits to provide in-class demonstrations of educational activities designed to help students grasp basic economic and financial concepts and prepare for SOL testing.

If you would like to arrange for us to visit your classroom, please contact Cheryl Ayers or telephone at least one month prior to the date of the proposed visit.

Education for Sustainable Development: K-12 Lessons Based on Virginia's Standards of Learning

Contact

For upcoming events, visit the VCEE Virginia Tech Center website

Center for Economic Education News

Cheryl Ayers

Congratulations to Cheryl Ayers, National Association of Economic Educators (NAEE) winner of the 2023 Economic Pedagogy Scholar Award. Cheryl received the award at the annual conference in St. Louis on March 1st.

About the award: The Calvin K. Kazanjian Foundation supports new ideas and approaches to helping people more fully understand how economics can play a role in making their lives, their communities, and the world a more prosperous place. The Economic Pedagogy Scholar Award was created to recognize a NAEE member whose pedagogical scholarship has helped more people understand basic economics, in keeping with the vision of Calvin K. Kazanjian. The purpose of this award is to recognize a NAEE member’s body of economic pedagogical work, honor their consistent and continued engagement in economic education, and acknowledge the impact and innovation of their scholarship that has been distributed through peer-reviewed publications and peer-reviewed conference presentations.