Arizona Award for Excellence in Teaching Financial Education
Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee and the Arizona Financial Literacy Task Force, in collaboration with the Freedom Center, announced the three recipients of the inaugural Arizona Award for Excellence in Teaching Financial Literacy yesterday at the Arizona State Capitol. The three winning teachers were awarded a full scholarship to pursue an online Master of Legal Studies in Law & Economics (MLS) degree, a joint program between the Freedom Center and the UArizona James E. Rogers College of Law.
“Teachers of financial literacy give young people an understanding and appreciation of how to budget for everyday expenses, save, and prepare for retirement,” said Mary L. Rigdon, Freedom Center Director and Associate Professor of Political Economy and Moral Science. “This Award provides a meaningful way to honor and support three exceptional K-12 teachers who are bringing financial literacy to life.”
Take Charge Today
To support secondary education and promote financial literacy, Take Charge Today is a free program and curriculum for high school educators to help students understand how to manage money to improve their well-being.
The program is founded on the idea that a university-based financial education outreach program can strengthen and extend the ability of schools and community organizations to improve the personal financial capabilities of young adults.
Ethics, Economy, and Entrepreneurship
This course is for high school students who want to go beyond basic state standards for economics. Students will come away better prepared for college, but also for the ethical challenges that go with careers in business, or in law, politics, education, or journalism.
The curriculum for this course is an evolving collaboration between individual high school teachers and University faculty. The course textbook comes with additional definitions, videos, podcasts, and articles in it’s online resource library.
Oral History Mini-Documentary Collection
The Freedom Center has launched an Oral History Collection as a resource to help schools prepare students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults. The collection, approved by the Arizona State Board of Education, includes three mini-documentaries that paint portraits of patriotism through compelling first-person accounts of other governing philosophies compared to those of the United States. It includes pieces by Mesa Community College Residential Faculty Member in Economics Sylwia Cavalcant (Poland), Rep. Quang Nguyen (Vietnam), and Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Ben Toma and his parents Ana and Cornel Toma (Romania).
Key Partners
Arizona School Administrators
Arizona School Administrators has been promoting and supporting excellence in educational leadership in Arizona since 1971. ASA serves over 1,500 school administrators from across the state.
Arizona Council on Economic Education
The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to entrepreneurship, economic and financial literacy, and workforce development in Arizona.
R. David Montano Scholarship
The Freedom Center is proud to honor the life and legacy of this extraordinary educator, who made an impact throughout his career and in particular, Pueblo High School. The R. David Montaño Scholarship is awarded to Pueblo College Prep Academy graduates to attend the University of Arizona. Hector Guzman earned the inaugural scholarship in 2023.