Our Mission
Equip teachers and students with the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve a lifetime of economic understanding and financial security.
Our Vision
For all Colorado students to learn the fundamental economic and financial decision-making skills necessary to be successful throughout life.
Our Purpose
ELC sets students up with crucial life skills of understanding economic and personal finances by equipping teachers with tools and knowledge to teach these concepts in schools and offering real-world, hands-on opportunities for students to learn about our economic system and explore careers in the financial industry.
Teaching economic and financial education throughout K-12 provides consistent exposure to students at multiple grade levels. Promoting economics and financial literacy should be a top priority because it helps students become:
Prepared for their futures: Understanding common economic principles helps individuals navigate fluctuating economic conditions and builds a more robust workforce.
Informed Decision Makers: Real-world financial skills help citizens save, invest, and spend their money in smart ways for long-term success.
How We Achieve This:
Economic Literacy Colorado is the only nonprofit in Colorado providing K-12 teachers with professional development and classroom enrichment opportunities to prepare students to achieve personal financial sustainability and self-sufficiency. ELC also offers two student programs with the intent to increase financial literacy and awareness of our economic system and explore career opportunities available in the business sector.
Our Impact
ELC leverages the multiplier effect to maximize reach across Colorado by placing a unique focus on educating and engaging K-12 teachers. Through statewide professional development programming, ELC employs the multiplier effect, by which one teacher impacts up to 150 students each year. Using this method:
We equipped 1,707 teachers, who educated 80,000 students in 115 school districts during the 2022-2023 school year.
Over the past five years 7,010 K-12 teachers participated in the professional development classes and workshops offered by ELC, directly impacting more than 500,000 students.
View our impact over the last 5 years:
