CENTER FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION RECEIVES GRANT

The Old Dominion University Center for Economic Education in the College of Business and Public Administration has received a $65,000 grant from the Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE) for the 2006-07 academic year.

The VCEE commended the center, noting, "It has met the highest standards of performance, and has advanced the interests of VCEE, Old Dominion University, the greater Norfolk area and financial education in Virginia."

The grant will be used to fund existing programs and continue to support the program manager, who oversees the daily and program operations, said Martha Hofler, director of the center. "We are extremely pleased that this grant will allow us to continue our mission."

The center strives to enhance schoolchildren's level of economic awareness through a variety of programs for teachers of kindergarten through 12th grade with public school systems in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk.

According to program manager Ruth Cookson, "The center has grown by leaps and bounds and continues to provide teachers with tangible lessons for the classroom."

The center's goal is to improve economic literacy by offering instructional programs, assisting with curriculum development and providing educational grants and awards for teachers.

VCEE programs are delivered through a statewide network of 14 centers for economic education, located within Virginia colleges and universities. Founded in 1969, VCEE is an independent, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to helping students understand basic economic principles so that they will become informed citizens, productive employees and wise consumers.