It’s Thankful Thursday at VCEE! This week, we’re expressing our gratitude for the incredible educators who choose VCEE for their professional development journey. Today, we’re highlighting Christi Gibson, a passionate teacher from Chesterfield County Public Schools. Here’s what Christi has to say about her experience with VCEE’s Online Personal Finance Course:
“I would suggest that everyone take advantage of the Online Personal Finance Course offered by the Center for Economic Education and VCEE. The resources, videos, practical applications, and feedback are plentiful and applicable to teaching Personal Finance and Economics. I was able to take many of the items and apply them to the classroom the same week they were shared.”
Christi’s testimonial speaks volumes about the value and immediacy of the resources we offer. We’re thrilled to be a part of her teaching journey and to support educators like her in bringing essential financial literacy skills to students.
Stay tuned for more inspiring testimonials from educators who have found success with VCEE’s professional development opportunities!
Today, we’re kicking off our Thankful Thursday series by expressing our deepest gratitude to the amazing educators who have chosen VCEE for their Professional Development journey. Your commitment to lifelong learning inspires us every single day!
We are honored to share a powerful testimonial from Paul Wardinski, a retired educator with a wealth of experience including high school principal, central office director, and non-profit executive, currently teaching at Fairfax County Public Schools:
“I am a retired educator who came back to teaching to help with the teacher shortage. I did not have to take this class, but chose to for multiple reasons. One being a role model to my students as a lifelong learner. The other to help me be more valuable to my principal since I would be able to teach EPF now. The materials and hands-on learning, despite it being virtual, were real-world, timely, and effective! You get to see what and how many resources are available to you from a variety of sources. Truly amazing and a little overwhelming at the same time. Come ready to work hard, learn a lot, and be more educated on this subject in the end!” – Paul Wardinski, Fairfax County Public School Teacher
Paul’s journey exemplifies the dedication and passion that educators bring to their profession. We are incredibly thankful for educators like Paul who go above and beyond to support their students and colleagues.
Stay tuned as we continue to spotlight more inspiring testimonials throughout the month. Together, we’re shaping the future of education!
Here is a message from our CEO and President, Mr. Daniel Mortensen:
“Live within your means.” “Save up for the things you want to buy.” “Don’t spend money you don’t have.”
These are pieces of advice that I received from my parents to help me manage my money, when I was growing up. At age 9, living in Minnesota, I began earning money by shoveling snow from my neighbors’ sidewalks and driveways. That money was placed into a savings account that my father and I opened. Over the years, through high school, my earnings from various jobs were deposited into that savings account, which continued to grow, aided by compound interest. Though some of it was used for spending money, the rest of the money was used to pay for my college education, an investment that definitely provided a positive return for me.
The advice my parents gave me about responsibly managing my personal finances has served me well over the years. Unfortunately, not every young person is able to learn these valuable lessons at home. That is why the ability to gain an education in economics and personal finance in school is so important, and why it helps to level the playing field for all students. At VCEE, we advocate for economic and financial education, and we help prepare Virginia’s K-12 teachers to effectively teach these subjects to their students. We want every student to learn these essential life skills that will benefit them, regardless of their personal circumstances or future vocation.
This month, join us as we educate, share free resources and engage with our amazing educators as we all continue to Empower Futures, One Dollar at a Time!
As we wrap up an incredible year at the Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE), we can’t help but celebrate the fantastic journey we’ve shared with you and your incredible school systems across The Commonwealth.
Your dedication to economic education and financial literacy has been the heartbeat of our success. We continue to have interactive events like the one in October when Stephen Day taught CNU students a new lesson called ‘What Can We Do About Pollution?’. In it, students play a word-guessing game, while trying to keep the noise level — ‘pollution’ — to a minimum. The students use several strategies that come from environmental economics for reducing pollution while still trying to ‘produce’ a lot of words. The lesson is an example of how VCEE shows students new ways to think about pressing societal issues, all while having fun.
Thank you for being the driving force behind our mission. Your commitment not only shapes the minds of your students but also paves the way for a financially literate future generation.
As we bid farewell to this year, we’re excited about what’s to come. With your continued support, we’re gearing up for an even more fantastic year ahead.
Wishing you and your school system a holiday season filled with joy, laughter, and well-deserved relaxation. Here’s to a New Year of continued success and collaboration!
