National Geographic Kids' Cha-Ching video series teaches financial literacy

This animated music video with the Cha-Ching gang teaches how money is made and what to do with it once you get some.

The series of money-related topics teaches young children how to Earn, Save, Spend, and Donate.

It’s an entertainning way to teach young children that they have choices and decisions to make with their money. And the tunes are catchy enough so parents will be humming right along.

There are 10 music video in the series, on topics like: “Save for Success,” “Spend Money Wisely My Friend,” and “Charity.”

For variety to keep youngsters interested in learning how to handle money, try CCEE’s Decision-Making Apron.

However you teach your children about the choices and decisions money brings, you’re a head of the game. Forty percent of Americans say they live beyond their means. Read more statistics about economic and financial literacy.

Capital Markets Contest teaches economics, but also how to prepare and compete for success

“CCEE’s Capital Markets Contest provides a granular understanding of economics and finance at an early age. My experience in this competition during my senior year of high school had a profound impact on my academic discipline at Temple University, my professional pursuits post-college, and my long-term ambitions.

Many of us engage in competitions that do little to nothing for our professional growth, but more so plays to our personal wants and desires. Even though that may be our mindset at ages 17 or 18, we need to understand how we should go out building a foundation, to ensure our professional utility grows at an exponential rate.

That is what this competition does for you and what it did for me. [Capital Markets Contest] gave me that foundation of knowledge, a network, and a chance to truly understand what should be a part of our day-to-day thinking. Such a topic affects every facet of our lives, yet we go around daily not knowing that it does.

The experience itself pushed my team members and me to the limits. We delved deep into the Financial Crisis to understand everything from securitized products to leverage buy-outs (LBOs), and made sure we were ready for any question. Even though we came in third place in the state of California, I learned a valuable lesson. Even though we were ready, the other teams were more prepared. They were concise, to the point, and focused on the nuances of the crisis more effectively than us.

I would not have learned how to develop that skill set early on without this exposure.”

– D. Lee

Every child in California deserves financial and economics education

As the leader in educating the state’s K–12 teachers and students in economics concepts and financial basics, CCEE’s Chairman recently reported on three key steps to improving the state’s financial literacy.

Read the Los Angeles Business Journal’s full article.

What you can do

Until the legislature changes, teachers and parents can turn to CCEE for no-cost programs and workshops.

Additionally, CCEE is producing a new online learning resource, EconWorks, that will revolutionize how teachers and students become financially literate.

Join CCEE to receive more information about EconWorks!

Everyone needs to learn how to read the economic indicators

How adept are you at reading economic indicators? We read them in the paper every day, yet many adults are hard pressed to correlate the numbers with the overall outlook for the economy.

A USA TODAY‘s poll of 50 economists project their outlook for the coming year. 

The price of gas, the upcoming election and unemployment rates all play into their views.

Read full article and see what they have to say.

Prepare your high school students now with CCEE

Teachers receive professional development training with CCEE workshops at no cost. Use programs that teach your students how to read the daily newspaper, understand the economic indicators and connect the information with their financial decisions.

Join CCEE today!

Use 33 web resources to help your students visualize economics!

If you don’t live in Utah, Missouri, Tennessee or Virginia, then what? If parents don’t provide learning opportunities and insights and most states don’t provide financial lessons, then how are today’s kids learning to be financially responsible adults?

An ATM is a simple machine to operate, but it requires sound financial decisions to operate one's life

Today’s CNN article summarizes the state of financial literacy education. Bottom line, unless parents jump in and fill the gap, no one is taking the lead by and large.

Read full article.

Parents and teachers can use CCEE  lessons

CCEE offers many tools, resources and teacher training workshops to help you teach your children and students sound personal economics.

• T Rowe Price’s ” The Great Piggy Bank Adventure“
• 33 tools and websites to help students visualize economics
• MoneyWiseTeen teacher training workshops

However you decide to help youngsters learn to take control of their finances, and ultimately their well being in life, CCEE is here to help.

Parents, join CCEE today!

Teachers, join CASET today!

Photo courtest of USA TODAY

Doing nothing is just about the worst thing to do when it comes to dealing with your finances. We simply must act to move our financial lives forward.

Most of us learn how to handle money from our parents. But as more and more Californians prove that this daily task is a challenge, children of all ages don’t learn how to handle the rewards and consequences of money.

Read full article and take a five-question quiz.

California Council on Economic Education can help!

CCEE provides free lessons and programs for K–12 teachers and parents right from the website:

• Decision-Making Apron – An excellent tool for all ages
• Hunka Hunka Human Capital – A great start for Kindergartners
• Spice Price Play – A fun way to get elementary school kids actively involved in learning
• MoneyWiseTeen Program – Online financial lessons for middle and high school students
• MoneyWiseTeen Contest – High School students learn financial literacy basics, then put their knowledge to the test in a statewide competition

Calling all teachers to Join CASET and get free professional development workshop training.

Learn how to use CCEE programs and make your classroom a fun place to learn about financial literacy!

Click to watch the video of these student teachers in action. Photo courtesst of LA Times.

CCEE is proud to share this moment where teaching economics and community service collide – in a good way!

Two high school seniors from Loyola High recently joined a middle school classroom in Pasadena to share their economic knowledge and connect with the kids as part of a community service program.

Read the full LA Times article and watch the video.

What you won’t hear is that these students are using CCEE’s Decision-Making Apron and programs.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can use the Decision-Making Apron in your class, here’s a link to Jim Charkins, CCEE Executive Director, showing you how to teach benefit/cost analysis with the apron in your classroom. OK, benefit/cost analysis may sound dry, but it’s fun and engaging with the Decision-Making Apron. Watch these students in action to see how fun it can be.

We couldn’t be happier to be a part of this learning moment!

1. Take the national quiz by The Federal Reserve of Minneapolis — an excellent tool and resource.

• Do you know how to curb inflation? Use scarce resources to their fullest? Understand why some resources are public instead of private? Test yourself, students and children to find out!

2. Read the FINRA National Financial Capability Study to learn about the spending and saving habits of Americans. (You’ll learn some startling information.)

• Most Americans lack emergency savings or “rainy day” funds
• The majority of Americans have not done any retirement planning
• Well below half of Americans have saved money for college

3. Take the pledge to learn about financial literacy

• While you’re on the site, have a look at FinancialLiteracyMonth.com’s 30 steps to financial wellness.

Free resources and tools for K–12 teacher, parents and students

CCEE’s MoneyWiseTeen program offers an excellent start to teaching children about financial responsibility and how they fit in the overall economy. Ten, online lessons use relevant stories for teens for an interactive learning experience with quizzes.

Join CCEE for free professional development workshops for teachers!

Photo courtesy of Senator Ted W. Lieu's website

Briefly, SB 1080 would authorize school districts to provide instruction related to personal finances in economics curriculum, personal finance topics, such as budgeting, savings, credit and identity theft.

The bill would also require the state Department of Education to include financial literacy in the textbooks for mathematics and history-social science. 

Read the full article.

CCEE offers free lessons, classroom materials and professional development for teachers.

Join CCEE and CASET, a professional networking group for California teachers.

Parents and teachers can use the MoneyWiseTeen Contest and Program, 10 online lessons to teach middle and high school students about financial and economic literacy.

Mint.com says young Americans are delaying financial independence because...

Mint.com’s infographic gives a nice overview of why young Americans are delaying financial independence.

As you’ll see from the article, there just aren’t as many solid job prospects for young people who are starting careers, and life, without mom and dad. Well, they are trying but often end up living with mom and dad.

The surprising thing is how hopeful and optimistic the younger generation is. Hope springs eternal in the human heart!

Check out CCEE’s programs, like MoneyWiseTeen, to prepare your middle and high school students with economic and financial knowledge to make sound decisions for life – like college choices and staying in school. Ten online lessons for use in the classroom or at home, help youngsters navigate complex financial decisions through real-life stories that relate to kids.

Join CCEE for free professional development and classroom-ready resources for teachers.