Middle and high school educators in Vermont interested in honing their personal finance teaching skills, or newcomers to the field, can attend a free, online, asynchronous course offered by the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College.
This graduate-level course, which has been recognized by the White House, will give Vermont educators who complete it the skills and curricular tools to bring personal finance into their classrooms, said John Pelletier, director of the Champlain Center.
Vermont earned a C grade in the updated 2023 National Report Card on State Efforts to Improve Financial Literacy in High Schools, issued by the Champlain Center. It is one of 13 states that earned a C grade in the new report, and it is one of six states that are projected to remain at a C through 2028. But seven of the 13 states will move up to an A or B within five years, due to approved policy changes. Seven states earned an A grade in 2023.
There are 20 full scholarships currently available for this online asynchronous graduate course for educators. The course runs from May 6 through June 28, 2024. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling admissions basis and the final application deadline is April 25.
This course, which awards participants three graduate-level credits, is a continuation of the Champlain College’s nationally recognized financial literacy educator training program that has trained nearly 400 educators in New England and New York State since 2011. A generous grant from the Rauch Foundation has allowed the Center to offer these scholarship. The Rauch Foundation supports and promotes financial preparedness of rising generations of students by supporting schools in the delivery of financial literacy programs.
Pelletier noted that the course was recognized not only by the White House, but also the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the FDIC, the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury and by President Obama’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability.
He noted also that the graduate course has been the subject of two studies showing the impact of the instruction (see most recent study “Prepped for Success”).
Champlain College is a small, private, not-for-profit institution located in Burlington.
Champlain College has also been a leader in online education for over 30 years, providing a high-quality academic experience through acclaimed associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate programs and a key partner for the Center for Financial Literacy. Financial Literacy education has been an integral piece of the Champlain College experience and the school is one of the few colleges in America that requires students to learn personal finance. Champlain College’s Center for Financial Literacy is nationally known and respected for its work to increase the financial capability of our nation through its research, advocacy and financial literacy educator training programs.
Founded in 2010, the Center for Financial Literacy has also developed two innovative, nationally recognized training programs to support educators in improving financial education in their classroom, helping our youth to be equipped to handle the complexities and intricacies of today’s financial world. For more info visit: Tinyurl.com/FreeFinanceVT.
