Foreword

Americans today are more responsible than ever for their financial futures. Yet survey after survey shows that American adults and children know little about even the most elementary principles and facts about money management, saving and investing. Schools have a critical role to play in helping parents and others to provide an overall economic education — including investor education — to our young people. In order to be successful, investor education must be taught early, often and well.

Learning, Earning and Investing introduces students to the world of investing, its benefits and risks, and the critical role it plays in fostering capital formation and job creation in our free market system. Learning, Earning and Investing is a comprehensive investor education program focusing on the benefits of and strategies for investing for the long term. Lessons cover basics such as the language of financial markets, reading the financial pages and financial institutions in the U.S. economy. There are lessons on stocks, bonds and mutual funds. The 16 lessons in the middle school volume and the 23 lessons in the high school volume provide students with the active-learning experiences which are an NCEE trademark. The author team led by Mark C. Schug of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has created pathbreaking activities.

Learning, Earning and Investing is much more than two publications. The companion Web site offers sample lessons, interactive simulations, downloadable PowerPoint visuals, a glossary and assessments. In addition, there are downloadable lessons, which are not included in the print publications, for fourth- and fifth-grade students. The Web site serves as a portal for a wide range of investor education Web sites and materials.

Because the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) believes that knowledgeable and skilled teachers are the key to successful investor education, the NCEE state Councils on Economic Education and university Centers for Economic Education are conducting 150 workshops across the United States. More than 4,500 teachers will receive free copies of the publication at the workshops. We hope this will be just the beginning of an extensive program of workshops on investor education for teachers.

None of this would be possible without the generous financial support provided by The Moody's Foundation. NCEE thanks The Moody's Foundation for its commitment to this investor education initiative, which will provide long-term benefits to the nation and its future investors.

Robert F. Duvall, Ph.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
National Council on Economic Education