MAKING CENTS WEBINARS

Making Cents webinars are offered on a variety of topics and are appropriate for teachers of all subjects and grade levels. Webinars are broadcast live twice on each date. Participants must register in advance online here. Upon completion of the webinar, participants complete an evaluation and can request 1 hour of Act 48 credit which is provided directly by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Each webinar follows one of two formats: Deep Dive or Six-in-Sixty. Deep Dive sessions focus on one topic for the entire hour and provide detailed information. The Six-in-Sixty webinars are overview sessions with information on six different resources in the course of an hour. In addition to traditional curriculum topics, this series features two webinars under the category Hindsight 20/20.  They say hindsight is 20/20, and the year 2020 was anything from ordinary — in so many ways. What can we — as financial educators — learn from the past year? These sessions will address financial lessons from the past year and how you can use them with students as “teachable moments.”

Previous webinars may be viewed in our archive below. Please note: Act 48 credit is not available to those viewing previous sessions.

Upcoming Winter/Spring 2020 Webinars

May 6th at 3:00 & 7:00       Curriculum Resource | Deep Dive Format

Million Stories: “Entertainment that‘s Right on the Money”

Have you heard of Million Stories? A program of the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship, this new entertainment platform strives to harness the power of entertainment to improve financial literacy. In this webinar, we’ll explore some of the original series on the site, including Adulting with Richard Sherman, American Paycheck, and Milk Money.  In addition, we’ll consider a variety of ways to use the content with students and preview a video game that is scheduled to be released this year.   Afternoon (3:00-4:00) Registration | Evening (7:00-8:00) Registration

WEBINAR ARCHIVE

Did you miss a previous webinar?  Catch up on the archived sessions, or access our YouTube channel here.

April 22, 2021: What’s New in Financial Education: An Update

Even under “normal” conditions, it can be hard to keep up with what is going on in the ever-changing world of financial education. In this webinar, we covered six updates to help keep you up-to-date. Topics included newly released materials, the phasing out of a long-time financial education resource, additional professional development opportunities, and more.

April 8, 2021: Investing in Tumultuous Times: A 2020 Recap and Key Takeaways 

We’ve all heard it, but it is true. 2020 was, indeed, unprecedented. From the spread and deadliness of the COVID-19 virus to stay-at-home orders to an incredible shift in the delivery of education, 2020 was truly a year like no other. The same could be said of investing in 2020. Stock markets saw record plummets followed by record recoveries and often defied expectations. In this webinar, we recapped what happened in the stock market in 2020 and what lessons students (and adults) can take from it. In particular, we explored how students might analyze data from 2020 to support or dispel common investing advice.

March 18, 2021: Financial Podcasts: For Yourself and/or Your Students (A Making Cents PA Webinar)

Podcasts offer easy access to information on a variety of topics. Have you tried any? Had your students listen? In this webinar, we shared details on podcasts that focus on financial matters and provided ideas about how to use them with students, including how to access them using a variety of platforms.  

March 8, 2021: Emergency Savings (A Making Cents PA Webinar)

The global pandemic led to many individuals losing some — if not all — of their income for extended periods of time. While financial experts have long counseled people to have an emergency fund, many people put it off. What lessons can students take from the global pandemic and how can they be used to better themselves in the future? This 60-minute webinar dives into the topic of emergency savings and explores strategies to help us automate and protect our emergency savings.

February 18, 2021: Offline Assignments: Making the Most of Unplugged Educational Time (A Making Cents PA Webinar)

This webinar features an overview of seven Anytime Personal Finance Activities. Each activity is designed to be used without internet access and with no prior instruction. They work well for remote learning days or emergency substitute plans. Each activity can also be modified for use with students in a classroom or virtual environment. At the end of the lessons, you’ll be able to download the lessons and share ideas with fellow participants on how to use them.  

May 11, 2020: Using Board and Card Games to Enhance Personal Finance Instruction (A Making Cents PA: “Six in Sixty” Webinar)

Monopoly and The Game of Life may be perennial favorites, but there are many other board and card games that can be used to liven up lessons in personal finance. In this webinar, participants will learn about six great games, including how they work, ways to integrate them into your instruction, and resources to assist you along the way. Some are also available to play free online if purchasing games is not an option. Ideas for funding the purchase of games were also be discussed.

April 6, 2020: The Status of Personal Finance Education in Pennsylvania High Schools (A Making Cents PA Webinar)

Some states, such as Virginia and Utah, require all students to take a course in personal finance before graduation. In Pennsylvania, this decision is left to local school districts. This webinar will provide information on how many and which school districts across the commonwealth offer and/or require a course in personal finance. Participants will also learn about a new law that allows school districts flexibility in providing graduation credit for courses in personal finance.

March 30, 2020: Linking College and Career Readiness with Financial Education (A Making Cents PA: “Six in Sixty” Webinar)

During this fast-paced webinar, Hilary Hunt, Director of Pennsylvania’s Making Cents Project, will discuss natural connections between the six big ideas of Pennsylvania’s Instructional Framework for Personal Finance and college and career readiness. Participants will receive concrete ideas for ways to make connections across grade levels as well as examples of artifacts that can be collected to demonstrate both college and career readiness skills and financial know-how.

March 16, 2020: FoolProof for Middle School and High School (A Making Cents PA: “Curriculum Deep Dive” Webinar)

Learn to teach your students how to be healthy consumer skeptics using FoolProof, a free financial education curriculum. FoolProof can be used to teach middle and high school students the power of healthy skepticism as well as how to identify and neutralize misinformation. Mike Sheffer, FoolProof’s Director of Education provided an introduction to FoolProof and how to implement the curriculum in your classroom. Alignment to PA academic standards as well as the Council on Economic Education and Jump$tart national standards is also addressed.

  • Access the FoolProof website (Note: You must sign up for a free educator log-in in order to access the full suite of lesson plans and tools)
  • Watch the webinar on YouTube
  • Download the presentation handout 

February 24, 2020: Curriculum Deep Dive: Bringing Personal Finance to Life with Intuit’s Mint and Turbotax Simulations: Dedicated Access for Educators

Today’s students are likely to use online services and apps to manage their finances, but it can be challenging to teach students how to use programs without actual accounts. Intuit, the providers of Mint and Turbotax, has teamed up with Take Charge Today to create a way for students to experience both platforms while learning about personal finance basics, including budgeting, credit, and taxes. In this session, you’ll discover how to access the student-specific simulations using Mint and Turbotax along with discovering features from the Take Charge Today’s accompanying lesson plans.

  • Access the Take Charge Today website (Note: You must sign up for a free educator log-in in order to access the full suite of lesson plans and tools)
  • Watch the webinar on YouTube 
  • Download the presentation handout 

February 10, 2020: Curriculum Deep Dive: Take Charge Today’s Middle and High School Financial Education Curriculum

Find out how to create a free educator account, key curriculum features, and get tips for navigating the Take Charge Today website.

  • Access the Take Charge today website (Note: You must sign up for a free educator log-in in order to access the full suite of lesson plans and tools)
  • Watch the webinar on YouTube
  • Download the presentation handout 

June 25, 2019: Six in Sixty: Game On! Using Free Online Games to Engage Students

Learn about six great online games you can use in secondary classrooms to teach and/or reinforce personal finance lessons.

June 4, 2019: New Professional Learning Groups for Financial Educators

“Meet” one of the Making Cents Project’s new Financial Literacy Ambassadors and find out about upcoming professional learning groups. Learn how you can connect with fellow educators who have an interest in personal finance.

May 14, 2019: Six in Sixty: Children’s Books and Games with Financial Literacy Themes

Discover ways to integrate personal finance lessons using children’s books.

April 30, 2019: Curriculum Deep Dive: Pathway to Financial Success

Find out how you could put Pathway to Financial Success to use in your classroom. This new financial education resource from Discover Financial Services and Discovery Education features classroom activities, self-paced modules, videos, and family connection tools.

April 23, 2019:  Six in Sixty: Financial Education Resources  

Learn about six financial education resources that can be put to use in your classroom right away! This fast-paced session featured information on resources for middle and high school level educators.

February 28, 2018

Topics and Presenters:

  • High School Credit Union Branches: What They Are and How to Start One – Kathleen Fey, Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation; Randi Marmer, TruMark Financial Credit Union; and Nancy Labricciosa, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School – video of presentation (34:10), slides
  • The NEFE High School Financial Planning Program – Susan Sharkey, National Endowment for Financial Education – video of presentation (23:45), slides, program components
  • What Teens Should Understand about Taxes – Holly Chase, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency – video of presentation (28:53), slides

Download the agenda and bios here.

January 24, 2018

Topics and Presenters:

  • Keys to Success: New Online Teacher Training Program – Dr. Andrew Hill, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia – video of presentation (30:48), slides
  • Robo Investing, Saving, and Advising, Oh My!: What Are These New Tools and What Should Consumers Look Out For – Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project – video of presentation (20:02), slides
  • How Penn State is Tackling Financial Education for College Students – Brad Yeckley, Penn State Financial Literacy and Wellness Center – video of presentation (33:52), website

Download the agenda and bios here.

December 13, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

  • Saving for the Future: PA Treasury’s TAP 529 Program and New PA ABLE Program – Kelly Davis, Pennsylvania Treasury Department – video of presentation (24:47), slides, PA 529, PA ABLE
  • New and Improved Resources from Next Gen Personal Finance – Tim Ranzetta and Laura Matchett, Next Gen Personal Finance – video of presentation (31:22), website

Download the agenda and bios here.

November 15, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

  • Voices from the Classroom: A Panel of Teachers Discussing Financial Education – Lisa Golding, Cumberland Valley High School; Kathy Jo Reinsmith, Chambersburg Area High School; Fred LaPointe, Lebanon Catholic School – video of presentation (56:11), slides
  • Financial Reality Fairs – Kathleen Fey, Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation – video of presentation (23:12), slides

Download the agenda and bios here.

October 25, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

  • What College Students Wish They’d Learned About Money in School – Jason Pettner, Student, Penn State Erie – video of presentation (29:12), slides
  • Education Planner: A Free Online Career Planning Resource – Marla Kane, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency – video of presentation (27:50), slides
  • CFP, CPA, EA’s and more: Understanding Who’s Who in the World of Financial Professionals – Holly Chase, Pennsylvania Housing Financing Agency – video of presentation (24:11), slides

Download the agenda and bios here.

September 27, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

  • Pennsylvania’s PK-12 Personal Finance Curriculum Framework: Six Big Ideas – Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project – video of presentation (18:09), slides
  • Using Children’s Literature to Teach Personal Finance and Economics – Dr. Andrew Hill, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia – video of presentation (30:11), slides
  • Project Based Learning and Personal Finance: A Perfect Pair – Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project – video of presentation (26:32), slides

Download the agenda and bios here.

March 28, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

  • Crowdfunding Investing: What It Is and What to Watch Out For (Daniel Lee, Securities and Exchange Commission) – video of presentation (31:51) – information bulletin
  • Right About Money (Dan Kadlec, Right About Money) – video of presentation (16:55) – website
  • Adapting Financial Education Lessons for Students with Disabilities (Susan Tachau, Pennsylvania Assistive Technologies Foundation, and Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) –
    slides, video of the presentation (36:21) – PATF website, Cents and Sensibilities website

Download the agenda and bios here.

February 28, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

Download the agenda and bios here.

January 31, 2017

Topics and Presenters:

Download the agenda and bios here.

November 30, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

Download the agenda and bios here.

October 26, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

Download the agenda and bios here.

September 28, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

Download the agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the session here. 

April 14, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

  • Practice What You Preach: You, Your Students, and Investing (Doug Hassenbein, PA Department of Banking and Securities) – slides
  • PwCs New Earn Your Future Digital Lab (Hilary Hunt, Financial Education Consultant) – slides

Download the agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the session here.

March 16, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

  • Everything Teens (and Adults, too) Should Know about Car Insurance  (David Buono, Pennsylvania Insurance Department) –
  • Kiddynomics and Other Resources for Teaching Personal Finance from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Dr. Erin Yetter, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) – slides (coming soon)

Download the agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the session here.

February 11, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

  • Pennsylvania’s Model Personal Finance Curriculum, Model High School Personal Finance Course, and iTunes U Course (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project) – slides
  • Teaching Financial Services with Resources from the iTunes Course (Fred LaPointe, Lebanon Catholic School)
    • Non-Depository Financial Services – slides
    • Identity Theft – slides

Download the agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the session here.

January 13, 2016

Topics and Presenters:

  • Borrow to Grow and What You Need to Know (Holly Chase, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency) – slides
  • Thrive ‘n’ Shine (Dr. Maggie Kundson, MindBlown Labs) – slides
    • Are you ready to get started with your class? Go here
    • Want to test drive the game first? Download Thrive ‘n’ Shine to your device (iTunes orAndroid) and enter the code 973a4 to start playing
  • What We Know about Successful Financial Education Programs (Dr. Andrew Hill, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia) – slides

Download the agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the afternoon session here.

November 12, 2015

Topics and Presenters:

  • Budget Challenge – The Road Test for Personal Finance (Brian Page, Budget Challenge) – slides
  • Foundations for Your Future: The Pennsylvania State Employee’s Retirement System (Brian Farester, PSERS) –slides
  • Teaching High Schoolers about Earning Income and Resources from the National Endowment for Financial Education (Susan Sharkey, NEFE) –slides

Download the agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the evening session here.

September 30, 2015

Topics and Presenters:

  • Introduction, Professional Information, and Wrap Up (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project) – slides
  • Life’s Three Financial Stages (Stanley Greene, Pennsylvania Treasury Department) – slides
  • Pennsylvania’s new iTunes U Course for Personal Finance (Fred LaPointe, Lebanon Catholic School) –slides

Download the agenda and bios here.

September 15 and 23, 2015

Watch the September 23rd webinar here.

Topics and Presenters:

  • Ensuring Students Receive Financial Education as a Requirement (David Christopher, Juniata Valley School District) – slides
  • Research in Support of Financial Education (Dr. Andrew Hill, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia) –slides
    • Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Main Education website
    • Keys to Financial Success brochure
    • Paper on the Effectiveness of the Keys to Financial Success Course – Paper
    • Paper on State Financial Education Mandates – Paper
  • Resources for Implementing Financial Education (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project) – slides
    • Personal Finance Curriculum Framework on the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards Aligned System website

April 22, 2015

Topics and Presenters:

      • Teaching and Assessing Student Understanding of Saving and Investing (Dr. Andrew Hill, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia) – slides
          • Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Main Education website
          • Keys to Financial Success Information page
          • Teacher Program Registration page
          • Keys to Financial Success Webinar (May 14, 2015) Registration page
          • Keys to Financial Success YouTube video
          • Making Sense of Money and Banking YouTube video
          • Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Economic and Personal Financial Education Programs YouTube video
        • Council for Economic Education Free Online Assessment Center
  • Spicing Up Lessons on Saving and Investing (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project) – slides
      • Time Value of Money lesson demonstration video
      • Financial Literacy: Teach It! videos
      • Star Banks Adventure game
      • FDIC Money Smart Podcasts website
      • Virtual Field Trip to the New York Stock Exchange on the Discovery Education website
      • T. Rowe Price 7th Annual Parent, Kids, and Money survey
    • Model Personal Finance Curriculum and High School Personal Finance Course available at the PDE SAS website (must be logged in to access)

Download the agenda and bios here.

March 12, 2015

Topics and Presenters:

    • Next Generation and Life Happens (Julie Holsinger, Life Happens) – Next Generation website, Life Happens website, slides
  • All About the Risk: Strategies for Making Your Lessons on Risk Managements and Insurance More Engaging (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project) – Sneeze Insurance Lesson website, My Classroom Economy website, Kahoot website, slides

Download the agenda and bios here.

February 18, 2015

Topics and Presenters:

  • Banking Basics and Financial Education Resources Available from Credit Unions (Tricia Heisey, BELCO Community Credit Union)
  • Professional Update (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project)

Download the agenda and bios here.
Download the slides here.
Watch the video of the evening session here.

January 29, 2015

Topics and Presenters:

  • Borrowing Money (Judge Mary France, U.S. Bankruptcy Court | Middle District of Pennsylvania) – slides
  • Hands on Banking (Mark Rich, Wells Fargo) – website
  • Professional Update (Hilary Hunt, The Making Cents Project) – slides, model personal finance curriculum here (must be logged in) and here (select Personal Finance tab)

Download agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the evening session here.

November 13, 2014

Topics and Presenters:

  • Understanding Taxes (Regis Bodnar, IRS) – download slides (coming soon) and visit Understanding Taxes website
  • Earning Income, Professional Information, H&R Block Budget Challenge – slides, watch the What if Kids Had All the Money video, watch the Budget Challenge Intro video

Download agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the evening session here.

October 22, 2014

Topics and Presenters:

  • Professional Information including PA House Education Committee Public Hearing on Financial Literacy and the PISA Financial Literacy Results (Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) – slides
  • Model PK-12 Personal Finance Curriculum and Model High School Personal Finance Course (Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) – slides
  • Money Management and Generation Z (Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) – slides
  • The FoolProof Financial Education Curriculum (Will DeHoo and Mike Sheffer, Foolproof) – slides and visit website

Download agenda and bios here.
Watch the video of the afternoon session here.

March 20, 2014

Topics and Presenters:

  • Teaching about Giving (Cathy Bowen, Penn State University) – slides
  • Using Tablets to Teach Students about Personal Finance (Sharon Baillie, Burgettstown Middle/High School) – slides
  • Professional Information (Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) – slides

Download agenda, bios, and notetaker here.
Watch the video of the afternoon session here.

February 19, 2014

Topics and Presenters:
  • Online Games that Teach Personal Finance and/or Economics (Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) – slides 
  • Understanding Interest Rates (Dr. Andrew Hill, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia) – slides
  • Survey of Teachers (Hilary Hunt, Making Cents Project) – slides

Download agenda, bios, and notetaker here.
Watch the video of the afternoon session here.

BIG IDEAS

Explore the long-term transfer goals and six big ideas in Pennsylvania's Model Personal Finance Curriculum. The model provides a starting point for educators to evaluate their own personal finance curriculum and identify potential gaps.

Consider:

  • How do the big ideas compare to what you teach?
  • In what order do you teach the big ideas and how much time do you give to each?
  • Are some of the big ideas harder to teach than others for you?

Additional documents are available to download from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Standards Aligned System (here and here).

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