Training for K-12 teachers features the Virtual Economics 4.0 (VE4) CD-Rom, which demonstrates how VE4 can serve as a resource tool for K-12 teachers to enhance social studies, math, language arts, and science curricula. Discover how to engage your students in hands-on, highly effective, proven lessons. Learn how to navigate this easy-to-use, newly updated resource of 1400 economic lessons which is linked to teaching tips and motivating videos on current topics.

The Stock Market Game ™ is an online simulation to teach students about saving and investing. The workshops demonstrate how to engage students and include curriculum materials for teachers and their students in grades 4-12. SMG, a program of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association for Investor Education, is provided for Illinois teachers by Econ Illinois. InvestWrite is an extension of the SMG. Students and teachers have opportunities to win state and national prizes through this writing competition. Students are given a detailed writing prompt related to what they learned through the SMG. Essays are chosen within three grade levels: 4th-5th grade, 6th-8th grade and high school.

This training introduces teachers to strategies that help students make thoughtful well-informed decisions about important aspects of personal finance, including earning income, spending, saving, borrowing, investing, and managing money. Lessons introduced will be tailored to specific grade span audiences. Lessons are based on real-world concepts. Teach students how to make good decisions and avoid poor ones through an economic way of thinking.

Teacher training focuses on money management topics in children’s stories. Particularly of interest to elementary and gifted teachers (K-8), these activities address concepts developmentally appropriate to the teachers’ assignments

Training focuses on the six economic concepts (scarcity, opportunity cost, goods and services, specialization, producers and consumers, and productive resources) that are found in children’s stories.

Training focuses on the integration of math skills with economic topics. Teachers are directed to resources for grades K-4, grades 5-8, and grades 9-12. Hands-on activities and engagement are aligned to those specific audiences. All lessons identify the Common Core Standards and can be found on the online VE-4 CD.

Fairy tales and folk tales offer excellent examples of economic and personal finance topics that elementary students will grasp immediately and enjoy learning.

A competition for high school students designed to increase their understanding and interest in economics and finance. Students compete online in teams to qualify for state and national finals.

The Illinois Personal Finance Challenge is designed to recognize students who demonstrate high levels of comprehension and application of personal finance concepts and skills and reward teachers for outstanding practices in teaching personal finance concepts.

The program connects state legislators with classrooms in their districts. Legislators “sponsor” a Stock Market Game team from schools in their districts in regional competitions.

Through the contest, students in grades 1-8 demonstrate their understanding of the economy through artwork. Drawings by the 12 state winners are featured in a 12 month calendar.

The 3M Economic Educator Awards acknowledge teachers of grades K-12 for their creativity and commitment to the instruction of economics. Winners receive cash prizes and are honored at the Econ Illinois Economic Education Day Awards Luncheon held at the Union League Club of Chicago in October.

Entries are accepted each year through July 15, for the 3M Outstanding Economic Educator Award. Nominate yourself or a colleague. The 3M Outstanding Economic Educator Award recognizes teachers who have a sustained history of commitment and contribution to economic education.

Additionally, select teachers who received program awards during the preceding school year are recognized as Stars in the Classroom.