Online Economic Empowerment
Curriculum & Training
Curriculum & Training
Complete Anytime at Your Own Pace!
15 Hours of Professional Development
Professional development completed at home at your own pace - Certificate of Completion & Digital Badge included
Self-paced, asynchronous modules in Google Classroom including national WIOA & peer collaboration
Customizable, interactive,
non-intimidating,
confidence-building, motivational, classroom-ready curriculum
Real-world contexts for core academic subjects, standalone programs, and one on one counseling
Learn basic economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship concepts and skills using a classroom-ready, field-tested curriculum.
Highly flexible, research-based curriculum integrates basic economic concepts and reasoning tools throughout personal finance and intra/entrepreneurship content for more informed and empowered decision-making.
Perfect multidisciplinary, real-world contexts for teaching core academic subjects (math, English, science, social studies) while simultaneously developing workforce readiness skills.
A culminating, personalized Action Plan guides simple yet impactful next steps toward securing a more prosperous future.
REGISTRATION
Participants may register and complete the online training anytime and at their own pace.
Secured access to the online training site will be emailed to registered participants.
Please email Dr. Cheryl Ayers at cheryl42@vt.edu for registration information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CURRICULUM TOPICS
ECONOMICS
scarcity, resources, choices, opportunity costs, markets, supply/demand, globalization, cost-benefit analysis, economic reasoning skills, economic decision-making tools
PERSONAL FINANCE
financial goals, budgeting,
reducing expenses, smart spending choices, saving, banking, debit, credit cards,
credit scores, payday loans,
debt management, identity theft
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
workplace intrapreneurship
earning additional income
entrepreneur skills assessment
market opportunities, easy small business ideas, lean canvas, business plan basics
TRAINING DETAILS
Full access to in-person/online curricula (PowerPoint, videos, activity sheets, assignments, assessments) used in training modules to learn content and practice using resources from student perspectives while planning for multidisciplinary instruction
Participants may simply choose to save copies of the Economic Empowerment Curriculum or complete the assignments and earn a Certificate of Completion and Digital Badge
Best-practices for online and in-person experiential instruction modeled
Short instructional videos with activity sheets chunked into 15-30-minute learning sessions interactively walk participants thru content, andragogy, and resources
Reflection questions about content and andragogy to facilitate peer learning and WIOA collaboration
Teacher Resource Exchange to share participants’ favorite resources with each other
List of 120+ additional free resources for teaching economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship
PARTICIPANT COMMENTS
"The mission of the project is critical to the empowerment of the people in my city, and I believe across our country. The low-income populations have been done a great disservice in their minimal understanding of the way the economy works. It is all of our responsibility as privileged citizens to teach others to teach and lead all who need this training. This program is a HUGE step and a giant leap forward in better serving our communities."
"This program was enlightening! The introduction to economics is priceless! As a financial coach, I can now assist my clients with a more broad view of their finances. The in-depth presentation of entrepreneurship will be a life-long gift to my clients. It may be the key to keeping them out of poverty and/or securing the next generation."
"One of the best seminars I have attended in more than 30 years of teaching! Dr. Ayers conducted this with intelligence, insight, empathy, and enthusiasm! Outstanding hands-on activities and valuable handouts. I will put this to work immediately…with my incarcerated adult students. There is a HUGE need for this in the corrections system - enormously important for REHABILITATION!"
"Economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship can feel like giant, insurmountable tasks to many. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how this curriculum is scaffolded, accessible, and manageable. It includes all the necessary "nuts and bolts" and the instructions allow ALL educators to assemble their own instructional goals. It is truly amazing and beautiful."
"This training gave functional, realistic examples that students can apply to their daily lives. The handouts were fantastic in supporting the materials taught and learned throughout the course. Dr. Ayers breaks down the three subjects into real life scenarios that students can actually use."
"This training was so comprehensive, yet condensed at the same time! Dr. Ayers’ presentation was well-organized and easy to follow. I found it inspiring, empowering, and so meaningful!"
"This was a really enjoyable and invaluable training for me with simple and practical examples to drive the points home. It was worth my time! Thank you very much!"