The MTSU Center for Economic Education, housed in the Jones College of Business, has been selected to receive the 2019-20 Albert Beekhuis Award from the New York-based Council for Economic Education.

The award, which carries a $1,000 honorarium, is named after Dr. Albert Beekhuis, a lifelong proponent of economic literacy.

This 2018 file photo shows a Foundation for Teaching Economics workshop held in the Jones College of Business Executive Education Center inside the Miller Education Center on Bell Street. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)

“This award is a tremendous honor for MTSU, Jones College, and the MTSU Center for Economic Education,” said Jones College of Business Dean David J. Urban.

Dr. David Urban

In announcing the award, the Council for Economic Education stated, “The programs offered by the Middle Tennessee State University center, and the commitment to driving forward the mission of providing the best and most effective economic and financial education to teachers, students and the community at large; make your Center deserving of this award.”

The Center for Economic Education’s mission is to equip K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics to learn how to make better decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.

The CEE carries out its mission by providing resources and training to K-12 educators and has done so for over 70 years. Nearly two-thirds of the 50,000-plus teachers the center reaches in-person are in low- to moderate-income schools. All resources and programs are developed by educators and delivered by the center’s 188 affiliates in every state.

The Center for Economic Education will soon become the Tennessee Council on Economic and Free Enterprise Education at MTSU, reflecting the center’s relationship to the Council for Economic Education.

Dr. Maria Edlin King

“One of the great privileges I’ve had in my time at the MTSU Center for Economic Education has been to work with teachers who are fully engaged in their students’ education and actively invest in their own ongoing professional development,” CEE Director Maria Edlin King said.

“The challenges of the last year have presented unique opportunities to grow the center’s work in online professional development for teachers. This new format has given us access to many teachers who were unable travel for face-to-face programming due to lack of resources. I am excited to continue expanding the programs and services we provide to Tennessee and the greater Southeast region.”

To learn more about the Center for Economic Education, contact King at Maria.King@mtsu.edu.

— Darby Campbell (Darby.Campbell@mtsu.edu)