Press Release  Agencies Announce Financial Education Professional Development Funding for Massachusetts Teachers

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Council for Economic Education (CEE), Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), and the State Treasurer’s Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) announced a collaboration aimed at increasing access to financial education professional development for K-12 teachers throughout the state.

The Massachusetts Professional Development Grant for Educators will offer teachers the opportunity to complete personal finance virtual trainings through either CEE or NGPF’s pre-existing programs. Participants are eligible to receive a $500 stipend upon completing 20 hours of professional development through either program.

Through this grant, CEE offers live and on-demand trainings and webinars. NGPF’s options include attending weekly virtual events, completing certification courses, and completing on-demand modules. Participants of NGPF’s program will also receive NGPF-branded promotional materials through the NGPF Academy program.

The Massachusetts Professional Development Grant for Educators launches on January 5, 2023. Teachers can learn more and get started here.

“Research has shown that schools do not have the resources or training to teach financial education to their students,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “With this initiative, teachers will have access to the information and tools they need to teach young people money management skills.”

“We’re proud to support personal finance education for teachers and students across Massachusetts,” said Nan J. Morrison, President and CEO, the Council for Economic Education. “The knowledge teachers will gain and the free new tools available to them will help Massachusetts educators give their students a stronger foundation for life.”

"We know that the key to having highly qualified and confident teachers in every personal finance classroom is through effective professional development. This grant program will ensure that students benefit from effective instruction in this essential course,” said Tim Ranzetta, Co-Founder of Next Gen Personal Finance.

In the summer of 2023, CEE and NGPF will host an in-person summit with participants. More details about this event will follow in the coming months.

This program is funded through a public-private partnership between OEE and NGPF, with the state providing $100,000 and NGPF providing a matching grant.

About the Council for Economic Education:  

The Council for Economic Education’s (CEE’s) mission is to equip K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. We carry out our mission primarily by providing resources and training to K-12 educators and have done so for nearly 75 years. EconEdLink, our free online educator gateway for economic and personal finance lessons, attracts approximately 450,000 users annually and nearly two-thirds of the tens of thousands of teachers we train are in low- to moderate-income schools. CEE also provides young people with programs to prepare them for their financial futures and help them understand the economic impact of real-world events. Invest in Girls, our program for high school girls, and our National Economics and Personal Finance Challenges together inspire and motivate over 30,000 high school students annually. All resources and programs are educator developed and delivered by our nearly 200 affiliates nationally. We also advocate for more and better education in personal finance and economics, leveraging our biennial Survey of the States.   

About the Office of Economic Empowerment

Treasurer Goldberg created the Office of Economic Empowerment, led by a deputy treasurer, with the deliberate goal of implementing a range of economic empowerment initiatives that include closing the race and gender wage gap, addressing racial equity, increasing access to financial education, and creating pathways to economically stable futures for all residents across the state.

About Next Gen Personal Finance

Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) is a nonprofit committed to guaranteeing that all high school students receive a personal finance course prior to graduating. NGPF has become the "one-stop shop" for more than 70,000 educators looking for high-quality, engaging personal finance curriculum to equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the future. NGPF invests in teacher professional development with live Virtual PD workshops, 10 Certification courses, and 40+ asynchronous on-demand modules. NGPF has been recognized by Common Sense Education as a "Top Website for Teachers to Find Lesson Plans" and "Best Business and Finance Games."

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