Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has acknowledged the partnership among the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Penn State as part of a proclamation naming April Financial Capability Month in Pennsylvania.
Penn State's Cathy Bowen, professor of agricultural and extension education and consumer issues, has spent nearly 30 years at the University, helping Pennsylvanians and students to become financially literate and to manage their resources. Much of Bowen’s work has focused on perennial consumer problems that help individuals and families strengthen their ability to navigate in society and improve their financial literacy.
The Governor's proclamation mentions the collaborative effort between Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to improve personal finance and economic education through the PA Making Cents project. The project provides resources and information to teachers across the Commonwealth who teach or who are interested in teaching personal finance in the classroom. Bowen is a founding contributor to the project.
"Personal finance is not a required course for all high school graduates in Pennsylvania, but in my mind it's one of the most important, practical things we can teach," Bowen said.
The Making Cents Project, has been in place since 2012. Through webinars and electronic newsletters teachers learn about new curriculum resources, content information on a specific personal finance topic, and professional development opportunities related to teaching personal finance.
"The program provides teachers with a wealth of materials that encourages them to learn more about personal finance and to incorporate personal finance into existing courses such as reading, math, family and consumer sciences, business education or a semester stand-alone course devoted to personal finance."