Summer Institute Q&A

What is the Vermont Teachers Financial Literacy Summer Institute?

Center for Financial Literacy Summer Institute at Champlain College The Summer Institute was created as a response to the growing concern that Vermont students were not being adequately prepared with regard to personal finance topics prior to high school graduation. Half the states in the country, including Vermont, do not require that students be taught financial literacy topics, but a national survey indicates that 89% of teachers believe that students should be required to have financial literacy course prior to high school graduation. The Great Recession and its aftermath are further proof that personal finance knowledge is a necessary 21^st century skill that our children should have when they leave high school.

Last summer 24 teachers from 21 Vermont Supervisory Unions attended the Summer Institute. In the 2011-12 academic year, these same teachers provided personal finance instruction to nearly two thousand Vermont middle and high school students. During the next two years we have the funds to provide training to 81 more teachers. Imagine how great the impact will be after 105 Vermont middle and high school teachers have been trained.

When will the Summer Institute be held?

June 25-29^th, 2012

8 A.M to 5 P.M

The registration deadline ends on Friday, May 4^th and selected participants will be notified no later than Friday, June 1st

Where will the Summer Institute be held?

The Summer Institute will be held at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Room and board is available for those who live more than 40 miles outside of Burlington.

What is the cost?

The tuition is $1,200. Academic scholarships are available to help cover the cost, based on need.

How are teachers selected?

Our grant requires that we try to train teachers from at least seventy-five percent of Vermont's Supervisory Unions. To meet this requirement, teachers must be picked from a variety of schools, meaning the registration process isn't on a first come first serve basis. If you are not selected for this coming year you can opt to have your information kept on file for the 2013 Summer Institute wait list.

How many teachers will be selected this year?

Up to 40

What are the goals?

To give teachers the confidence, skills, and curriculum tools that they need to successfully teach personal finance in their classrooms.

What will I learn?

This 45-hour graduate level course will cover the following topics:

Income and Careers
Planning and Money Management
Credit and Debit
Risk Management and Insurance
Saving and Investing
Financial Responsibility and Decision Making
Classroom Ready Curriculum
Games and Activities to Promote Financial Literacy in the Classroom

During the Summer Institute you will have the opportunity to listen to expert instructors from the financial industry and experts on teaching personal finance in the classroom. You will also receive 3 graduate credits upon completion. For a sample of last year's schedule click here.

Who designed the curriculum?

The curriculum includes twenty-one hours of content that has been jointly created by the JumpStart Teacher Training Alliance and the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College. The JumpStart Teacher Training Alliance Curriculum was developed by a national steering committee consisting of individuals the JumpStart Coalition, Nation Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), Council for Economic Education (CEE), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Family Economics and Financial Education (FEFE), Junior Achievement, the United States Department of Education, and the United States Department of Treasury. Last summer, the Center for Financial Literacy was chosen to be one of five pilot sites for the testing of this innovative curriculum. Over the past year and a half, other pilots have also been held in Denver, Chicago, and Tuscon, and a final pilot will be held in South Carolina later this year. (For more information on the JumpStart Teachers Training Alliance visit: http://www.jumpstart.org/teacher-training-alliance.html)

Who will be teaching us?

Approximately 30 individuals provided instruction during the 2011 Summer Institute. We would expect to have a similar number of instructors in 2012. Click here to see a list of the Summer Institute 2011 instructors and their biographies.

What did the teachers think about the quality of the instruction?

"By far the best professional development I have been a part of in 29 years of teaching! The materials, speakers, organizers, and colleagues were absolutely fantastic. I would high recommend the Summer Financial Literacy Institute." Judie Estes, Business Teacher, Mount Anthony Union High School.

"It seems that saying thank you is not enough. Please know that your efforts to make this experience for us possible will benefit students and other teachers in school districts across Vermont as we return and integrate activities and enthusiasm for financial literacy in our schools" A quote from a letter signed by all 2011 Summer Institute participants. Click here to see the entire letter.

Summer 2011 teacher Courtney Poquette was featured in a video series developed by Merchants Bank documenting her time before the Summer Institute, during, and after. To watch all three videos follow this link to Web site and click on Courtney Chapter 1, 2 and 3. http://www.youtube.com/user/VermontMatters

What tools will I be able to take back to the classroom?

Participating teachers will receive a tool kit of materials worth $400. Last year's kit included a collegiate textbook on personal finance, and a classroom kit filled with games, books, and curriculum to be used with a variety of grades. Teachers will also have access before and after the class to an online Wiki full of information relevant to the summer training.

A Big Thank You

To Merchants Bank for providing the Center for Financial Literacy with a generous, 3 year $125,000 grant that has helped make the Summer Institute possible. The 2011 inaugural year was so successful that we already have a waiting list for next year. Click here for the registration page.