Certified Educator

VCEE certification is a clear indicator of your willingness to invest in your own human capital. Certified educators are aware of the constantly changing environment around their profession and possess the desire to anticipate and respond to change.

You can earn recognition as a VCEE Certified Educator if you attend an entire institute and pass the post-test. You will master the personal finance, entrepreneurship, and economics-related concepts in Virginia’s History and Social Science Standards of Learning while also learning ways to present the concepts in a manner that is engaging and relevant for students. VCEE institutes are designed to cover a content area fully and provide you with classroom-ready lessons and activities—all at no charge to teachers.

Join more than 2,000 VCEE Certified Educators across the Commonwealth who have invested in their professional development. Search for a VCEE Certified Educator on our website based on grade level (ie: Elementary, Middle, and High School).

Begin your certification process today with one or more of VCEE’s comprehensive offerings:

Economics Institute (45 hours)

This program focuses on economics content in the high school Economics & Personal Finance SOL and provides resources for teaching the standards. Participants learn how the “economic way of thinking” turns basic economics concepts into life skills that enable students to make more meaningful and productive day-to-day decisions. A detailed analysis of how market economies work and the personal and societal implications of economic indicators (inflation, unemployment, and economic growth) also contribute to students becoming more informed decision-makers as consumers, producers, savers, investors, employees, and citizens. A broader analysis of economies as a whole allows participants to make better sense of world situations. 

Also available: AP Economics Institute (30 hours)

Personal Finance Institute (45 hours)

Includes detailed content instruction and methodology for the personal finance topics included in the high school Economics & Personal Finance SOL and competencies including banking, credit, consumer rights and responsibilities, insurance, taxes, and financial planning. Content instruction is delivered by professionals working in the various fields. Teachers take the W!SE Financial Literacy test and have the opportunity to earn this Teacher Certification at no charge. 

Entrepreneurship Institute (45 hours)

While not all students will choose an entrepreneurship career path, all will benefit from understanding the basic economics and entrepreneurship concepts constantly at play in the world.  Rooted in performance-based learning and assessment, the lessons and activities demonstrated reinforce 21st century skills while covering most of the economics learning standards in Civics & Economics and Economics & Personal Finance as well as many of the Career Investigation competencies and some personal finance learning standards.  This real-world, entrepreneurship lens for economics instruction also offers a broader context for current events and multidisciplinary instruction. Flexible by design, teachers are provided a variety of curriculum options, as each lesson can stand alone or as a complete unit of study.   

Civics and Economics Institute (30 hours)

Designed to assist middle school CE teachers with all the economic content in the SOL for this course as well as provide creative lessons and resources.  Modules include: (1) Economics is About Making Choices; (2) Why Do We Need an Economic System?;  (3) How Our Economy Flows; (4) Markets and Prices;  (5) How Does Government Relate to the Economy?;  (6) What is Globalization and How Does It Affect Me?;  (7) Banks and the Federal Reserve System;  and (8) How the Economy Affects Me Financially.

Mini-Economy Institute (18 hours)

Project-based learning at its best!  Tap into the endless creativity of young students using a classroom-proven template that makes setting up your classroom economy simple. The Mini-Economy is an experienced-based program used to teach entrepreneurship, economics, and government. Students immerse themselves in a classroom economy: applying for jobs, running businesses, paying taxes, and making investments. Students master essential economics principles while getting cross-curricular exposure to math, reading, and writing.  On top of invaluable teamwork and negotiation skills, students learn and practice their role in the global marketplace.  This program can be a fun and effective learning tool in grades 3 – 5 and middle school.

K-5 Economics and Personal Finance Online (25 hours with 3 optional)

This six week online course is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of all of the K-5 economic and personal finance concepts in Virginia’s Standards of Learning while also giving you things to think about in terms of your own personal finances.  It includes five modules designed to take 2.5 to 4.0 hours a week: Orientation; Making Good Decisions; Producing and Earning; Savings; and Investing.  A sixth module (Using Credit) is optional, but can be undertaken for an additional 3 hours.  The course includes pedagogy and teaching demonstrations from experienced elementary teachers (grade bands K-2 and 3-5 separated) and identification of grade-level appropriate resources.

K-3 Economic Institute (12 hours)

This Institute allows teachers to experience methods of teaching all of the K-3 elementary economics-related SOL in a manner that is hands-on, effective, and enjoyable for students and teachers alike. Designed to strengthen and deepen a teacher’s understanding of these fundamental economic concepts, the Institute also provides a variety of resources ready for use in the classroom, including lessons, simulations, and demonstrations linked to children’s literature, both classic and new.