Take Charge Today Spring Update
Expanding Our Reach, Enhancing Our Resources
The Freedom Center’s full time financial literacy arm, Take Charge Today, works around the clock providing teachers and students alike with new, free content to facilitate any financial learning goal. As the school year winds down, Take Charge Today is proud to share highlights from a busy and impactful spring semester.
Take Charge Today impacted over 3,000 students and teachers with hands-on career and entrepreneurship lessons, hosted a “Teaching Taxes” webinar with Intuit, and presented at six educator conferences—with more to come at the Crossroads Conference on May 12. The program also introduced new classroom activities and began updating materials to meet accessibility guidelines.
Classroom Engagement: Inspiring Arizona Students to Take Charge Today
Robin Palmer, Marketing Specialist for Take Charge Today, visited middle and high school classrooms across Arizona, reaching over 300 students through hands-on career development and entrepreneurship sessions. These visits included resume-building support, post-graduation planning, and interactive activities—such as coaching students on Shark Tank-style business pitches. These experiences helped students gain confidence and practical skills for life beyond high school.
Teachers work on a Spending Plan Activity Board for a fictional family scenario at a math conference.
Empowering Teachers: “Teaching Taxes” Webinar
In partnership with Intuit for Education, Take Charge Today hosted a “Teaching Taxes” webinar for educators across the country. The session featured free, classroom-ready tools and resources to help teachers introduce tax-related topics—like understanding paychecks and completing tax forms—in engaging and accessible ways.
Teachers play “Fly Swatter Facts” at the Western Business Educators Association Conference.
Educator Professional Development & Conference Presentations
Take Charge Today shared resources and strategies with over 113 educators through presentations at several regional and national conferences, including:
- Colorado Family and Consumer Sciences Conference
- Western Business Educators Association Conference
- Innovations in Education Conference
- University of Arizona’s Center for Recruitment of Math Teachers Conference
- Math in the Mountains Conference
Palmer is also preparing to present a talk titled “Perseverance Pays Off: The Long Game of Financial Success” at the upcoming University of Arizona Staff Development Crossroads Conference on May 12, where she will share insights with an estimated 75 U of A staff and educators, based on last year’s attendance.
Robin Palmer speaks about finances at the Invest in Girls event at the University of Arizona.
Curriculum Enhancements: New Activities and Advanced Accessibility
This semester, new student-centered activities were launched—including Would You Rather, Entrepreneurship Bingo, and Clothespin Review—making financial education more interactive and fun. Take Charge Today is also in the process of updating all lesson plan PowerPoints to meet accessibility standards set by the U of A Office of Disability Resources, ensuring all students and teachers can engage fully with the materials.
Looking Ahead: Summer 2025 and Beyond
Take Charge Today has big plans for the coming school year. A top priority is launching a new, more responsive website. On the curriculum side, the team is developing a Soft Skills/Transferable Skills Active Learning Tool and new lessons, including an introductory unit on insurance and a mid-level taxes lesson to bridge the gap between current beginner and advanced materials.
This summer and fall, the Take Charge Today Teacher Trainers—along with Robin Palmer and Tiffany Kiramidjian, Project Manager for Take Charge Today—will continue sharing program resources at national, state, and regional conferences. The team is also especially excited to host this summer’s upcoming Entrepreneurship Academy.
Stay tuned for more updates as Take Charge Today continues to grow and innovate!
