The following list contains descriptions of upcoming VCEE workshops. Each workshop will provide valuable training for teachers looking to expand their economic education curriculum.

If you do not see a workshop below please contact your local representative.

VCEE Workshop Schedule

Christopher Newport University
Center for Economic Education
To register or find out more information, contact:
Gemma Kotula, Director
econedu@cnu.edu • (757) 594-7404


14 Greatest Hits for Teaching Economics
April 24, 4:30 - 6:30pm
CNU/Sun Trust Building, Corner of Warwick and Hiden Blvds. 4th floor Room 424
Find out which economics lessons really get the point across to your high school students! Curriculum included, and enthusiasm for economics awarded!
Please register early as space is limited.

Teaching the  Ethical Foundation of Economics
May 21, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
CNU/Sun Trust Building, Corner of Warwick and Hiden Blvds. 4th floor Room 424
Sponsored by the BB & T Foundation and taught by Dr. Michelle Vachris and Mrs. Gemma Kotula, this workshop will explore ethical and controversial topics through an economics “lens”.
Please register early as space is limited to 20 participants. Continental breakfast and lunch are included. Substitute reimbursement available.

George Mason University
Center for Economic Education
To register or find out more information, contact:
Rachel Powell, Program Coordinator
gmupowell@yahoo.com• (703) 945-9384

Game Time I: File Folder Economics
Tuesday, April 8, 2008   
Game Time II: File Folder Economics
Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 4:15-5:45
Grade Levels: 2-6
Plan to attend either or both of these fun workshops. We’ll play a number of economic file folder games. Participants will receive copies of game materials and instructions for creating their own classroom set.

Economics and Children’s Literature:  Baseball Economics
Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 4:15-5:45
Grades 2-8
Baseball and economics—it’s a natural fit.  Come explore some great baseball stories and a classroom game and learn how to use America’s pastime to teach economics.

Mini-Economy: Creating a Classroom Economic System
June 23-26, 2008, 9:30-12:20
Grades 4-8
We will create a classroom economic system designed to teach the SOL economic concepts.  Participants receive a copy of the curriculum and additional lesson plans.  Join us for a truly enjoyable week of learning and play!

Workshop is made possible with support from the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

James Madison University
Center for Economic Education
To register or find out more information, contact:
Lynne F. Stover, Associate Director of Program
stoverlf@jmu.edu• (540) 568-3248

Traveling Down the Silk Road: the People, Places and Products
April 16, 2008 3:45-5:45
Grade Levels: K-3
Madison Art Museum at The Festival Center- James Madison University
Geography, history and economics come together as these materials and activities show how the Silk Road facilitated trade and contact between China and other cultures. Participants will receive a copy of We’re Riding on a Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road by Laurie Krebs.

Mathematics and Economics: Connections for Life
April 17, 2008 3:45-5:45
Grade Levels: K-5
JMU Center for Economic Education, 1598 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
This workshop explores connections between mathematics and economics.  Each participant receives a grade-appropriate book.

JMU Stock Market Game Reception
May 15, 2008, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
JMU's Zane Showker Hall
The James Madison University Center for Economic Education will hold The Stock Market Game Winners’ Reception on Thursday, May 15, 2008 from 5:00p.m. -7:00p.m. in Zane Showker Hall.  The three highest ranked teams for both the fall and spring games in the elementary, middle and high school levels will be honored at this time.

The GEM Fair
May 29, 2008  9a.m.-1 p.m.
JMU Convocation Center
The Global Entrepreneurship Marketplace is an “international” event designed for Mini-Society® teachers and their students.  Details may be found at http://cob.jmu.econed/gemfair

JMU Content Teaching Academy
June 23-27
Citizenship Education
(Ninety Minutes – Secondary Strand)

Session I
Title:  Citizenship and The Three E’s: Economics, Ethics and the Environment
Session Objectives: 

Session II
Title:  How to be a Millionaire: Financial Literacy and Your Students’ Future
Session Objectives: 

Session III
Title:  Tools for Teaching Globalization
Session Objectives: 

Longwood University
Center for Economic Education
To register or find out more information, contact:
Diana Shores, Program Manager
shoresdc@longwood.edu • (434) 395-2461
Or visit our website www.longwood.edu/lcee


Problem Solving, Decision Making and the Story of the Little Red Hen
April 8 4pm-7:30pm
Longwood University
Find out about the cat, the dog, and how the little red hen’s “very good cakes” can be used to teach economic concepts. Your students are naturally curious about the world around them. With the 14 hands-on activities this program offers, you'll keep your students actively involved with your lesson plans. You'll use simulations, games, stories and role-playing activities that illustrate economics in a way every elementary student will enjoy. This thorough curriculum uses communications and thinking skills to introduce core economics concepts.
Cost to attend is $10. All participants receive meal, curriculum, and parking

Dragon’s Decide: Fun with Dragons
April 15 4pm-7:30pm
Longwood University
“Dilroy and Diana were Dragons. They lived in a nice little castle at the top of a hill. For many years they worked hard to buy things they needed. Even dragons have needs…..” This fiery dragon drama covers many of the Virginia Standards of Learning. Lesson content includes art, reading, writing, and analytical thinking activities. The workshop will train teachers on how to deliver the lessons associated with the story. Library Media Specialists will love these lessons! Participants receive a teaching guide and a complete classroom set of copies of the Dragon’s Decide story and coloring book.
Cost to attend is $10. All participants receive meal, curriculum, and parking.

Jail Educators Annual Conference
April 25th 8am-3:30pm
Kroger Center in Richmond
The Longwood University and Lynchburg College Centers for Economic Education will be co-teaching with an instructor from the Virginia Credit Union. The lessons presented will be about goal setting as it pertains to financial literacy and there will be an overview of lending sources.  Fun games and door prizes will be awarded.

Virtual Economics Training
May 20, 9-4pm
Location: Longwood University, College of Business and Economics
Workshop for Jail Educators & Department of Correctional Education educators (materials will be focused on incarcerated youth). Don’t be the only one to miss this training. Each participant will receive a copy of the Virtual Economics CD-Rom. All materials covered will pertain to personal finance. Lunch and refreshments provided.

This workshop is made possible with support from the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation and area banks, the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Virginia Council on Economic Education, Longwood University Center for Economic Education, & Lynchburg College Center for Economic Education.


Saving Our Rivers and Bays with Dollars and Sense
July 14-18, 2007 (residential program)
Location: Classroom instruction at the VA Bankers Association in Richmond, VA
All program participants will be lodged at the Homewood Suites by Hilton (Innsbrook) in Richmond, VA
Searching for a fun and innovative class for graduate credit or relicensure points? If so, it’s your turn for a field trip and to gain great classroom ready materials!  Come to this exciting class that explores environmental issues concerning our environment, the Chesapeake Bay, and other Virginia waterways through the lens of economics.
The class will explore questions such as: Why we should care about our water resources, how they impact our economy, why Virginia's water resources are being damaged, and how economics can assist us in good resource stewardship.  The class incorporates instruction on "Water 101" by Clean VA Waterways and an ecotour of the James River with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. 
Material will be delivered using an educator-friendly, hands-on approach that incorporates many classroom activities and children's literature selections. The course materials are easily adaptable and integrate with K-12 learning objectives across the curriculum.  
Available for relicensure points or graduate credit. Fifteen scholarships toward graduate credit will be awarded (total price for the 3 graduate credits from Longwood University with scholarship will be $273.91). You may opt to take this course as a workshop for a non-refundable fee of $75.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and 4 days of lodging are provided with enrollment for graduate credit or as a workshop. To register or to receive more information contact Diana Shores 434.395.2461 or shoresdc@longwood.edu. More information will be posted at www.longwood.edu/LCE

Generously sponsored by the Virginia Environmental Endowment, The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund, The Powell Center for Economic Literacy, The VA Bankers Association, the Virginia Council on Economic Education, and the Longwood University Center for Economic Education

In-Services
In-service for Amelia County Schools: “Math and Economics ”
April 4th, 8:30-12
Amelia County High School

In-service for Department of Correction Education Teachers: “NEFE High School Financial Planning”
April 10th 9:00-3:30
VCU

Center for Economic Education
at Lynchburg College
To register or find out more information, contact:
Cheryl Ayers, Director
ayers.c@lynchburg.edu• (434) 544-8791

SESSION 3:  Globalization - Critical Knowledge & Skills for Middle and High School Students
Grades: 6-12 (2 separate publications for middle and high school)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Lynchburg College, Brewer Townhouse, Large Meeting Room
8:30 – 3:30 p.m. (breakfast and dinner included)
Your students have no choice:  they will enter a globalized economy.  How can you make sure your students not only survive, but thrive?  The first step is to frame globalization issues in terms any middle or high school student can understand.  This workshop will demonstrate mind-expanding lessons that explore key issues from trade to protectionism to outsourcing, allowing you to pass onto your students a firm understanding of how they can think and choose responsibly as consumers, employees, and citizens in a global economy.  Links to supplemental materials and resources help you extend the activities and get more from each lesson.  Plus, all lessons include key data (current statistics) and information sources, so you can cover this important topic quickly and efficiently. 

Lynchburg College faculty in the School of Business & Economics will be invited to share their expertise on hot topics pertaining to globalization.  Workshop participants will receive one of two featured publications according to the grades taught.  Middle school teachers will receive World Wide Trade, and high school teacher will receive Focus: Globalization.

Workshop is made possible with support from the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

SESSION 4:  Brand New Economics Lessons for Grades K-3
Grades: K-3
Thursday, May 8
Lynchburg College, Schewel Hall, Room 209
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Finally!  New activities for the K-3 SOL.  This brand new publication includes 10 lessons that are innovatively refreshing and essential in helping young students understand fundamental economic concepts.  Puzzle relay races, mystery bags of wants, charades, paper doll streamers, tic-tac-toe, and a board game are just several examples of the unique and highly graphic activities used to make abstract economic concepts come alive.  These activity-based lessons give you a seamless way to infuse economics throughout your curriculum.  You will keep your students actively engaged and also cover language arts, math, and reading at the same time.

SESSION 5:  Mini-Society®:  Simulating Real-World Economics, Entrepreneurship, & Citizenship
Grades:  2-7
June 18 – 20, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Jackson Middle School, Roanoke, Virginia
(breakfast and lunch included)
Mini-Society® is an experience-based curriculum targeted primarily for teaching entrepreneurship, economics, and citizenship concepts to students in grades 2-7.  Mini-Society® has been implemented in all fifty states and has been shown to be effective across socioeconomic boundaries and adaptable to a variety of student learning styles. 

In the Mini-Society®, students develop a self-organizing economic society with the consultative guidance of the teacher, driven by the need to resolve a classroom situation involving the fundamental economic problem of scarcity and its alternative solutions.  The children begin to identify opportunities in their environment and initiate entrepreneurship ventures to provide goods and services to their fellow citizens.  Because students bear the consequences of each of their decisions, Mini-Society® becomes the real-world to the participants, not just a simulation.  The Mini-Society® program is highly motivating and encourages independent, creative, and self-directed inquiry learning by students.  Research has shown measurable increases in concept acquisition, positive attitudes toward school and learning, leadership skills, and internal locus of control.  The knowledge and skills acquired through Mini-Society® also incorporate and enhance other thematic curricula and pedagogues including language arts, math, government, law, ethics, and cooperative learning.

Workshop participants will play the role of their students by creating their own society, currency, civil servant jobs, and entrepreneurship ventures while learning relevant economic concepts fundamental to any economy.  Participants are eligible to apply for paid positions as camp facilitators during  summer 2008 where the Mini-Society curriculum is used for week-long camps at Lynchburg College. 

Workshop made possible by the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and will be facilitated by the Centers for Economic Education at Lynchburg College, James Madison University, and Radford University.

IN-SERVICES

DOE Request:  VA Jail Educators
April 25
Personal Finance
Location & Time – TBA

DOE Request:  VA Jail Educators
May 20
Virtual Economics
Longwood University, Farmville, VA
8:30 – 3:30

This workshop is made possible with support from the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation and area banks.

Old Dominion University
Center for Economic Education
To register or find out more information, contact:
Ruth Cookson, Program Manager
rcookson@odu.edu• (757) 683-5570

Risky Business: What Every Teenager Needs to Know About Living Smart  for Grades: 6-12
Tuesday, April 8, 2008  4:30 p.m. -  7:30 p.m.
Location: TBA

Are your students equipped to make life-altering decisions about:

• Higher education?
• Healthy lifestyles?
• Credit?
• Insurance?

These are tough choices – even for adults. So, how do you make sure your students have the practical knowledge and critical life skills to tackle these challenging choices?
Risky Business shows your students how sound economic decision-making can empower teenagers to enter their adult years with skills to be healthy, wealthy, and secure. This complete DVD teaching resource contains four 15-20 minute video segments that are complemented by 12 lessons and activities (3 for each video). Workshop participants receive the DVD (a $99 value) which is also a wonderful resource for meeting several of the newly mandated Economic Education & Personal Finance Literacy Objectives. To register please provide your name, school, grade you teach, and phone number to Ruth Cookson by email (rcookson@odu.edu) or by phone (683-5570).

Workshop is made possible with support from the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

Money, Money, Money!  Coins in the Classroom for Grades K-12
Fri. and Sat., April 11th and 12th, 2008    9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Virginia Beach Higher Education Center
Everybody Loves Money!   They love to talk about it, complain about it, spend it, and save it! Use all that enthusiasm as a tool to enhance already existing lessons in mathematics, social studies, business, and economics.  Coins in the Classroom is a benchmark program from the American Numismatic Association with fun and interactive materials specifically designed for teachers.  Leave with hands-on materials, actual coins and paper money, plus a wealth of supplies to use in your classroom! This nationally recognized seminar has been conducted all over the country but this is the only time it will be offered in Virginia this year.  Lessons correlate to the Virginia SOLs and EEFLs.  For more information and to register go to www.money.org and click on “teacher tools” at the top of the page then click on “Coins in the Classroom”.   Questions? Contact Ruth Cookson by email (rcookson@odu.edu) or by phone (683-5570).

World Geography and Economics: The Key to Understanding Our World for Grades 6-12
Tuesday, April 16, 2008   4:30 – 7:30pm
Location: TBA
Provide opportunities for critical thinking about real-world problems using these 9 integrated lessons that emphasize content in economics and geography while providing opportunities for critical thinking about real-world problems.  Each participant will receive the National Council on Economic Education curriculum “World Geography: Focus on Economics” (a $29.95 value) complete with lessons on population pyramids, GDP, resources, international trade, interdependence, and economic development.  This FREE workshop is limited to 15 participants. WG.2, WG.5, WG.6, Wg.7, WG.8, WG.9  To register please provide your name, school, grade you teach, and phone number to Ruth Cookson by email (rcookson@odu.edu) or by phone (683-5570). 


Katrina’s Classroom: Financial Lessons from a Hurricane
Tuesday, May 6, 2008   4:30 – 6:30pm
Location: TBA
Meet Nick, Jacquelyn, and Jamie. Through these teenagers' stories about their lives before and after Hurricane Katrina, middle and high school students learn the importance of being financially prepared.
Katrina's Classroom: Financial Lessons from a Hurricane is a four-chapter, DVD-based curriculum that teaches students about financial responsibilities such as budgeting, banking, savings, and wise use of credit. The curriculum includes lesson plans and student activities tied to each five-minute video segment. To register please provide your name, school, grade you teach, and phone number to Ruth Cookson by email (rcookson@odu.edu) or by phone (683-5570). Free

This workshop is made possible with support from the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation and area banks.


Virtual Economics for Grades K-12
Friday, June 20, 2008 9am – 3:00pm
Location: Virginia Beach Higher Education Center
A $100 value, this CD-ROM contains more than 1,200 lessons which can be searched by key words, publications, grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) and Virginia SOL. An active, hands-on lesson can be printed for almost every K-12 economics SOL. Also featured is a “Browse Economics Concepts” menu option which allows teachers and students to brush up or learn for the first time about 51 economic terms by viewing an overview, multimedia presentation, teaching tips, and lesson suggestions. This CD-ROM is a “must have” for every teacher who is required to teach any strand of economics and neatly condenses 79 publications into one small space. Workshop participants will be taught the basic, absolutely essential economics foundation on which to build all required economics SOL instruction. They will also have plenty of time to explore the CD-ROM and discover ready-to-use lessons appropriate for their grade levels. To register please provide your name, school, grade you teach, and phone number to Ruth Cookson by email (rcookson@odu.edu) or by phone (683-5570). Free

Workshop is made possible with support from the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

Radford University
Center for Economic Education
To register or find out more information, contact:
Barbara Taylor, Program Coordinator
btaylor2@radford.edu• (540) 831-5887

Summer Institute for Teachers on Mini-Society
Grade Level: 2-7
June 18-20, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Jackson Middle School, Roanoke, VA

Mini-Society® is an experience-based curriculum targeted primarily for teaching entrepreneurship, economics, and citizenship concepts to students in grades 2-7.  Mini-Society® has been implemented in all fifty states and has been shown to be effective across socioeconomic boundaries and adaptable to a variety of student learning styles. 

In the Mini-Society®, students develop a self-organizing economic society with the consultative guidance of the teacher, driven by the need to resolve a classroom situation involving the fundamental economic problem of scarcity and its alternative solutions.  The children begin to identify opportunities in their environment and initiate entrepreneurship ventures to provide goods and services to their fellow citizens.  Because students bear the consequences of each of their decisions, Mini-Society® becomes the real-world to the participants, not just a simulation.  The Mini-Society® program is highly motivating and encourages independent, creative, and self-directed inquiry learning by students.  Research has shown measurable increases in concept acquisition, positive attitudes toward school and learning, leadership skills, and internal locus of control.  The knowledge and skills acquired through Mini-Society® also incorporate and enhance other thematic curricula and pedagogues including language arts, math, government, law, ethics, and cooperative learning.

Workshop participants will play the role of their students by creating their own society, currency, civil servant jobs, and entrepreneurship ventures while learning relevant economic concepts fundamental to any economy. 

--Over $100 worth of top-quality curriculum materials furnished to each participant
--For those who implement the program, a $100 stipend will be paid

Workshop made possible by the National Council on Economic Education through funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and will be facilitated by the Centers for Economic Education at Lynchburg College, James Madison University, and Radford University.

Preregistration is required.  Email Barbara Taylor

Understanding Economics in US History (8 hours)
June 17 and 18 - 12:00-4:00pm
Deep Run High School, 4801 Twin Hickory Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059 (near Short Pump Town Center)
High school US History teachers are invited to engage in hands-on lessons from the Revolution to the Great Depression to Immigration.  Each participant will receive a copy of Focus: Understanding Economics in US History (National Council on Economic Education)
Registration fee: $25

Hands-on Lessons for Virginia Studies
June 23 and 24, 1:00-4:30
Gayton Elementary 12481 Church Rd
Richmond, VA 23233 (near Short Pump Mall)
Fourth grade teachers will engage in hands-on lessons written specifically for Virginia Studies.  Each participant will take home a copy of the curriculum guide.
Registration fee: $25.

Hands-on Lessons for US I---American Revolution to 1877
June 25-26, 1:00-4:30
Gayton Elementary 12481 Church Rd
Richmond, VA 23233 (near Short Pump Mall)
Fifth grade teachers will engage in hands-on lessons written specifically for USI.  Each participant will take home a copy of the curriculum guide.
Registration fee: $25.

Benny’s Pennies and Other Fun Books for Teaching the K-3 Economics SOLs
July 1 and 2—1:00-4:00
Gayton Elementary 12481 Church Rd
Richmond, VA 23233 (near Short Pump Mall)
K-3 teachers will find that teaching economics can be fun—especially when you do it with children’s books.  Come engage in classroom ready lessons and take home a copy of the curriculum guide “Spotting Economics: From Africa to Ice Cream.”  
Registration fee: $25

For more information about how to register for these workshops, contact Anna Jones at (804) 828-8831.

For information about the class, contact Suzanne Gallagher, sgallagh@vcu.edu

How to Give Your Students the Mini Society Experience!
July 15, 16, 17, 8:30-3:30
Virginia Housing Center, Innsbrook
4224 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA
Grade Levels: 2-7

The Mini-Society® curriculum
is an experience-based approach to teaching concepts of economics and entrepreneurship, designed for students in grades 3-6. In this program students design and develop their own classroom society, creating a name, flag, and currency. Then they establish their own businesses to provide goods and services to their fellow citizens in classroom markets. Finally, teachers interact with the students through debriefings to discuss the concepts underlying their experiences.

This type of learning is real learning.
It is internalized by students because they have an experiential context in which to relate it. The economics and entrepreneurship skills and knowledge learned through Mini-Society® incorporate and complement other thematic curricula such as language arts, social studies, math, science, critical thinking, problem solving, practical arts and cooperative learning. This program has proven to be successful in implementing the Virginia Standards of Learning in grades 3-8.

All curriculum materials, lunch, parking, $50 seed money when they start their classroom economies.

This workshop is provided through the joint participation of the VCU School of Business Center for Economic Education,  the Virginia Council on Economic Education, the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation, the Virginia Housing Development Authority,  the National Council on Economic Education and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

 Mini-Society® is a registered trademark and service mark of Marilyn Kourilsky

Virginia Tech
Center for Economic Education
Mike Ellerbrock, Director
mebrock@vt.edu • (540) 231-7722