Advocacy Toolkit
Economic Education Month promotes the importance of teaching economics in our schools. This makes it the perfect time to launch a month-long advocacy campaign. The goal of such a campaign would be to increase awareness about the needs for economic education and to coordinate communications with decision makers. Economic education gives you the tools to make informed decisions for yourself, your family, and your community. It is essential we give young people in particular the tools they need to succeed in post-graduation because they are the future!
The Council for Economic Education’s 2022 Survey of the States found that 25 states had an economic education requirement. Since the 2022 survey, there has been a wave of states creating personal finance education requirements, but economics requirements have remained stagnant. There have even been attempts in multiple states to replace their economics requirements with a personal finance requirement!
This #EconEdMonth we need to make sure your states understand how important standalone economic requirements are for K-12 curriculum. We believe that economic thinking is a core skill—one that’s necessary for understanding the world and making better decisions in it. Students who study economics develop strong analytic and problem-solving skills, along with business acumen needed to succeed in the professional world. By imparting upon students an awareness of incentives and how they impact decisions – from ‘big picture’ macroeconomic decisions that drive public policy down to daily choices about how we as individuals allocate our scarce resources –we empower young adults to be more productive, more civically engaged and better equipped to participate in productive discourse. Use our toolkit to urge your representatives to prioritize creating standalone economic education requirements!
Why study economics?
Economics affects all of our lives. It teaches us to think logically, use data smartly, and develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills. It helps explain choices as small as your personal day-to-day decisions and as large as foreign policy decisions. Read more about the value of studying economics here.
This #EconEdMonth let’s remind people why economics is just as important as personal finance. Economics provides the context and circumstances that people need to understand in order to make sound financial decisions. Tell your representative why an economics requirement is needed in your state!
Build awareness for #EconEdMonth
Check out our daily #econedmonth content! Be sure to engage with @EconEdMonth posts on social media and tag @EconEdMonth and @CouncilEconEd so we can celebrate each other’s successes during Econ Ed Month and beyond! Spreading the word about economics will encourage others to join the cause.
