The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) was recently awarded $50,000 of grant funding from Thunderbirds Charities to implement the Arizona Seal of Personal Finance, benefiting 90,000 Arizona high school graduates.
The rising trend of states nationwide mandating personal finance education for high school graduation reflects a growing recognition of its importance. Arizona joined this movement by passing legislation to award the Seal of Personal Finance for students who have demonstrated personal finance skills on their high school diplomas. This initiative, developed in collaboration with the Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), sets criteria and processes for schools and students to qualify for the Seal.
ACEE is ramping up efforts and offering teacher professional development to bring these programs to schools statewide. Financial Fitness in Action, Money Minutes, and the Arizona Personal Finance Challenge are some of the programs approved by ADE for the Personal Finance Seal. Students learn budgeting with various real-life scenarios through the Financial Fitness in Action, connect math learning with personal finance skills through Money Minutes, and compete to demonstrate personal finance knowledge through the Arizona Personal Finance Challenge.
“ACEE deeply appreciates the recognition and support from Thunderbirds Charities in prioritizing financial literacy as a cornerstone of students’ future success in life and careers. We are excited to collaborate with Thunderbirds Charities, community organizations, and school districts to implement the Seal of Personal Finance across Arizona.” said Elena Zee, President and CEO of ACEE.
