PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Rich MacDonald, NAEE President

If you haven't made your room reservation for San Diego, you are about to miss the September 16 deadline. So, stop what you're doing, and make your reservation right now. Call the Hyatt at 1-800-233-1234 or 619-224-1234. Rates are $154 (plus tax) for single or double occupancy.

That accomplished, be sure to register for the conference by September 25 to avoid a $25.00 late fee. You can register on-line at http://www.ncee.net and use your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express card. 

Come early or stay late because you will want to enjoy the attractions of California's oldest city.

EconomicsAmerica Network News

ARKANSAS

In March 2002, the Bessie B. Moore Center for Economic Education conducted the first annual Mini-Society® Marketplace. Teachers from Northwest Arkansas who had been implementing the Mini-Society® curriculum brought teams of students who had created the most successful businesses in their class markets.

ILLINOIS

 Centers in Illinois have benefited throughout the year from NCEE grants to support new curriculum programs. Centers at Bradley, Governors State, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Northern Illinois University, and SIU-Edwardsville have each received numerous grants to support the new financial literacy curriculum and/or the new Math/Econ curriculum. 

INDIANA

The KidsEcon Posters© project is dedicated to giving teachers the tools they need to help their students understand the exciting economic world around them - making them more effective producers, consumers, savers, investors, and voting citizens. At the heart of the project are 22 colorful economic posters, each describing an important economic concept identified in the National Standards in Economics and in most state standards. All new KidsEcon Bingo is now available too! For more information about KidsEcon Posters© or to become a partner state and share in the financial benefits, please contact: Indiana Council for Economic Education, 765-494-8540, www.econed-in.org or www.kidseconposters.com

KENTUCKY

Jan Mester was named President of the Kentucky Council on Economic Education on May 1, 2002. Jan has served the Kentucky Council as Kentucky Stock Market Game Coordinator, Associate Executive Director and Vice President in her 17 years with council. Jan chaired the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education National Network Advisory Committee from 1999-2001. She also serves on the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies Steering Committee. 

MARYLAND

The Maryland Council on Economic Education is pleased to announce that Mary Ann Hewitt, former Director of Education Programs, is now Associate Executive Director of the Council, responsible for education activities of the Council and Centers. Mary Ann will continue to deliver elementary programs but will now coordinate the delivery of secondary and community programs, as well. 

MINNESOTA

The Minnesota Council has just completed the second summer delivering its "Enhancing Social Studies Curriculum with Economics" program, funded through Eisenhower Professional Development grants it was awarded in the last two years. The program attracted 26 teachers in summer 2001 and 42 in summer 2002.
 

MISSISSIPPI

On August 8th, a new Mississippi non-profit corporation, the Mississippi Council on Economic Education, came into existence. The new Council has an initial Board of Directors made up of 17 enthusiastic volunteers committed to the cause of improving economic literacy in Mississippi. They have set about the task of securing funding for the new Council and employing a full-time Council President as soon as possible. 

MISSOURI

The Missouri Council on Economic Education (MCEE) was invited to speak at the signing of economic education legislation by Missouri Governor Bob Holden. The Governor is a member of the MCEE Advisory Council and a former Trustee. The MCEE authored the legislation which calls for a major study of economic and personal finance education in the state for K-12 students. Passed by the Missouri House 130 - 11 and by the Senate 30 - 0, the bill is the result of new collaboration between many groups promoting economic and/or financial education. 

NEBRASKA

Fall 2002 will bring a group of educators from Cherkassy and Kirovohrad regions in Ukraine to the UNO campus as part of the Partners in Education (PiE) program of American Councils for International Education. The five-week stay will focus on civics education. The Center, in cooperation with UNO International Studies and Programs, has designed the program to reflect the importance economic education plays in civics instruction. This is the second group of teachers from Ukraine to visit UNO.

OHIO

The Economics Center for Education & Research at the University of Cincinnati teamed with the Cincinnati public television station, WCET, to produce a five-part video series and teachers resource guide called "Producing Ohio: Creating Our Economy." The program, intended for use in grades 5-6, was developed through an Ohio SchoolNet grant and was distributed state-wide in the spring to 200 Ohio low-wealth school districts.

SOUTH CAROLINA

To-date, the South Carolina council has conducted ten teacher workshops attended by 108 teachers and one graduate-level course at Winthrop University with an enrollment of 20 teachers. In addition, council staff has conducted three parent workshops in conjunction with the Financial Fitness for Life curriculum, with the most recent held on September 7th. Also during September, the council will be offering two seminars on Issues of International Trade.

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