In the midst of a seemingly endless stream of bad economic data, economic education and financial literacy for Georgia’s K-12 students have taken on renewed importance.

The numbers aren’t good, with the National Bankruptcy Research Center releasing figures earlier this year showing Georgia ranks second in the nation in personal bankruptcies filed, and sixth in home foreclosures.

To help Effingham K-12 students learn economics and prepare them for the future, Effingham County Schools recently joined EconomicsAmerica, a national program led in Georgia by the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE) that helps schools meet academic standards in economics, personal finance and civics.

Superintendent Randy Shearouse has appointed John Cook, an economics teacher at South Effingham High School, as the new EconomicsAmerica coordinator for the Effingham County Schools.  With the affiliation of Effingham County Schools, the EconomicsAmerica network in Georgia now has 162 schools and school systems across the state, with 129 public school systems and 33 independent schools.

Teachers at EconomicsAmerica schools can take advantage of priority when registering for conferences, support staff development, in-service workshops, and video and print resource materials.  More support for Effingham County teachers comes from the Coastal Georgia Center for Economic Education at Armstrong Atlantic State University where Dr. Jason Beck can answer questions on subject matter, host workshops, and help prepare teachers to master the content they teach.

Because many teachers assigned to teach economics have little or no training in the subject, in-service workshops can make a big difference.  Many GCEE workshops are offered at no charge, with materials and substitute reimbursement included.