Newsletter │Volume 5│ 2022
NCEE leads a statewide initiative advancing economic and financial literacy.
All of us at the Nebraska Council on Economic Education
wish you a joyous and blessed holiday season!
Warmest wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!
Thank you for your support all the year through.
Here are some highlights from Fall 2022.
Nebraska and National EconEd Month
October is officially National and Nebraska Economic Education Month! The observance promotes the importance of teaching economics in our schools. 
As part of #EconEdMonth, NCEE President, Dr. Jennifer Davidson, visited middle school classrooms at Milford and Cedar Bluffs to Econ-Evangelize about Economics as a major and a career. Students participated in activities where they were able to understand the power of choice and how their choices affect the people around them as well as a game where students learned how incentives work. Jennifer also spoke to the students about developing good habits as students now so they can be successful in their futures.
As part of #EconEdMonth, NCEE mailed these adorable informational postcards to all principals and superintendents in Nebraska.
NCEE also promoted #EconEdMonth calendars containing an economic question for each day. These can be used as a way to increase knowledge at home or at school.
NCEE has ultra soft "Econ is Life" T-shirts available. Please contact us at nceeinfo@unl.edu if you would like to purchase one. Cost is $25 and supports economic and financial literacy efforts in Nebraska.
A Record Setting Eight In School Savings Program Grand Openings This Fall
Nebraska's In School Savings Programs are celebrating their 20th anniversary with massive growth! Many thanks to our partnership with the Nebraska Bankers Association, the Nebraska Department of Banking & Finance, and all our bank and credit union program partners. This fall we helped open 8 new branches, bringing the total to 42 programs in Nebraska:
  • Lake Maloney Elementary, North Platte with Western Nebraska Bank
  • York Elementary, York with Cornerstone Bank
  • Community Christian School, Scottsbluff with Riverstone Bank
  • Kooser Elementary, Lincoln with Cattle Bank & Trust
  • Garden County Elementary, OshKosh with Nebraska State Bank
  • South Elementary, Falls City with Frontier Bank
  • Madison Elementary, North Platte with Western Nebraska Bank
  • Sacred Heart, Falls City with Frontier Bank
In addition, we already have 6 planned program grand openings this spring.

In School Savings program are designed to establish and reinforce the habit of savings. Research shows positive long term financial behaviors from participation in the in school savings program.

If you are interested in opening an in school savings program at your financial institution or school, please contact Jennifer Davidson at jdavidson2@unl.edu.
Congratulations to Cornerstone Bank on the October 6 grand opening of the Duke branch at York Public Schools (pictured below). It was thrilling to see so much excitement at the whole school assembly. On opening day the branch received 78 deposits totaling $736.68. Cornerstone matched $322.15 (up to $5 for each new depositor), for a total of $1,058.83. These students are getting a jump on a positive financial future!
Congratulations Cattle Bank & Trust on their in school savings program at Kooser Elementary. The Kodiak branch opened on October 25. Kooser students saved over $409 on the first day of deposits and Cattle matched an additional $172. This is Cattle's 3rd in school savings program with additional partnerships at Arnold and Roper at Lincoln Public Schools. Thanks Lincoln Public Schools for the great write up!
Wells Fargo Family Fun Nights

Thanks to funding from Wells Fargo and the National Council for Economic Education, NCEE was able to conduct four Family Finance Fun Nights.
Parents and elementary students participated in five financial activity stations and increased their knowledge on different aspects of personal finance. Each event culminated in dinner for the family.
Events were held at:
  • Brownell Elementary, Lincoln
  • Rousseau Elementary, Lincoln in partnership with Boy Scout Pack
  • Howard Elementary, Grand Island
  • Kearney Children's Museum
In all, 106 elementary students and 71 parents participated in the events.
Top photo: Kearney Children's Museum event coordinated by UNK Center Director, Alyse Pflanz.
Above: Children learning the Meaning of Money at Brownell Elementary.
Left: UNL Center Director, Lindsay Tillinghast at Brownell Elementary Family Financial Fun Night.
High School Business Competitions
Wayne State Business Competition
Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Wildcat Business Invite held October 26 at Wayne State College. With 200 high school students from 14 area high schools, the winning schools were:
  • 1st place: Gretna (pictured here)
  • 2nd place: Seward
  • 3rd place: Ashland-Greenwood
Many thanks to NCEE Field Rep Josh Hinrichs and WSC Center Director, Chuck Parker for organizing and running this popular event.
Husker Business Invitational
Congratulations to Lincoln Southwest on their championship win at the UNL Husker Invite Business Competition held November 18. Second place went to Lincoln East and third place to Waverly. Two hundred students from 17 high schools competed in 8 different content area exams. Thank you to Lindsay Tillinghast, our UNL Center Director, for organizing this event!
Fall Financial Literacy Concerts
Financial Literacy Concerts are a "shock and awe" and unique way to reinforce the importance of understanding personal finance. “Control your money or it will control you,” says GOODING of the national touring rock band, and our partner at Funding the Future.

This fall NCEE routed financial literacy concert events to:
  • Lincoln High, organizing teacher Kim Pickering, 300 students
  • Northstar High (Lincoln), organizing teacher Jodie Smith, 250 students
  • Cedar Bluffs Public Schools, organizing teacher Brian Dunker, 215 students

We cannot provide these student opportunities without our committed sponsors! Thanks to our friends at Inceptia, Union Bank, First State Bank & Trust-Fremont, and Cornerstone Bank for making the fall financial concert series a reality.
BMIT Teacher Conferences
Jennifer Davidson shared the forthcoming Ethics, Economics, and Social Issues curriculum guide and other NCEE programs at the Nebraska Department of Education business teachers conferences in Omaha, Kearney, and North Platte.
The Ethics, Economics, and Social Issues curriculum guide contains 16 engaging lessons that will help teachers address difficult topics at the intersection of ethics and economics. Lesson topics include: What is economic justice? What do we do about the homeless? Do businesses have a social responsibility? Should private companies operate prisons? And SO MUCH MORE. The entire curriculum will be online and available at no financial cost. The 18 month project is led by UNO Center Director, Dr. Jamie Wagner. More details coming soon!
Financial Avenue
Money Knowledge sets you free

inancial Avenue, home of the Knowl. He's an owl with a wealth of money knowledge. Next to eating field mice, there's nothing the Knowl likes better than helping students - and anybody really - get smarter about money. So explore the site, take some courses, read some tips and share the Knowl with anyone who needs a little money knowledge.
Have questions? Interested in signing up? Go to:
Upcoming Events
Spring ECON
Challenge:
March 6-24, 2023
Spring Finance Challenge:
March 13-31, 2023
Connect With Us
Please join us in our mission to create opportunities for economic and financial education throughout Nebraska. Let's set up a time to talk about how we can work together.