free webinar
Math Matters in Life: Personal Finances & Future Success
A free one hour webinar for K-12 educators seeking to strengthen the connection between math and personal finance in their classrooms. Led by the National Math Foundation (NMF) and the AFSA Education Foundation
Thursday, February 15, 2024 | 7:00 – 8:00 PM EST
Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, Financial Ed Instructors
Together, we will explore the math foundations underpinning core personal finance topics, and will address:
- Current challenges students face in math comprehension,
- Ways in which educators can boost their students’ math skills through movement,
- How financial education can strengthen students’ math skills through practical application, and
- Free personal finance resources for educators.
In addition to representatives from NMF and the AFSA Education Foundation, this webinar will also feature a panel discussion with Laura Levine, Executive Director of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, and Dr. Barbara O’Neill, CFP®, AFC®, owner and CEO of Money Talk.
About the National Math Foundation:
The National Math Foundation is working to change how we think about K12 education. The National Math Foundation works with educators to implement kinesthetic-based lesson plans for math and reading; Our goal is to be able to provide kinesthetic learning materials to every teacher interested in bringing these techniques into the classroom. We work to provide educators with in-depth professional development on a wide variety of topics and strive to promote further research on the relationship between kinesthetic learning and student achievement in traditionally underserved populations. Additional information can be found at https://nationalmathfoundation.org/
About the AFSA Education Foundation:
Based in Washington, D.C., the AFSA Education Foundation’s mission is to educate consumers of all ages on personal finance concepts and help them realize the benefits of responsible money management. For over 30 years, the foundation has been dedicated to providing free personal finance education, resources, and training to educators and more. Additional information can be found at www.afsaef.org.
About Your Presenters
Rhonda Ashburn
Executive Director, AFSA Education Foundation
As Rhonda leads the AFSA Education Foundation, she is focused on the mission of educating consumers of all ages on personal finance concepts and helping them realize the benefits of responsible money management through the free online financial education program MoneySKILL. Thousands of users are enrolled in the program each year for direct access to quality personal finance content across 37 different modules.
Rhonda is also responsible for two continuing education programs for mid-level and senior employees at AFSA member companies. The EDGE (Education, Development, Growth, and Enrichment) management program is conducted annually at Mercer University in Atlanta and the second leadership development opportunity is held at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Rhonda Ashburn has had many years of experiences working in the nonprofit arena. Most recently she was with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), the largest and longest-serving national nonprofit financial counseling organization in the United States. In 2014 Rhonda was honored to receive the NFCC Board Chair Making a Difference Award. Prior to joining the NFCC, Rhonda spent nearly 24 years working for a career and technical student organization, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). During her tenure at FCCLA she oversaw, administered, and managed 13 major programs including Financial Fitness, which focused on helping individuals learn to make, save, and spend their money wisely. In 2011 she received the FCCLA National Distinguished Service Award and in 2020 she received the FCCLA National Leadership Hall of Fame Award.
Although Rhonda has been working in the Washington, DC area for many years, she is originally from Oklahoma and completed her undergraduate degree at Oklahoma State University. In 2005 she received an executive certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute. In 2019 she was honored to receive the OSU College of Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
She and her husband live in Alexandria, VA.
Olivia DiBiase
Director of Financial Education & Outreach, AFSA Education Foundation
As the Director of Financial Education and Outreach for the AFSA Education Foundation, Olivia manages the implementation of the MoneySKILL curriculum, which provides free financial education to primarily middle school, high school, and college students in the U.S. and internationally. She works closely with educators, administrators, education officials, and AFSA members to raise awareness about and expand enrollment in the online curriculum.
Before joining the AFSA Education Foundation, Olivia spent six years at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), the leading association for nonprofit financial counseling organizations. She held leadership roles focusing on the delivery of innovative, consumer-focused programs and resources to improve consumer financial health. Prior to her work at the NFCC, Olivia served as a Youth Educator with the Peace Corps in Morocco.
Olivia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis. She and her family live in Washington, DC.
Suzy Koontz
Founding Board Member, National Math FoundationFounder and CEO, Math & Movement
Suzy Koontz, Founder and CEO of Math & Movement has spent over 25 years helping students achieve academic success. Suzy has created over 200 kinesthetic teaching tools adopted by schools nationwide and has authored more than 20 books. As a national presenter and keynote speaker for schools and conferences, Suzy shares heartwarming stories of how movement can increase teacher and student self-confidence and transform the way students learn and retain knowledge. Suzy is the co-author of an upcoming ASCD book on active learning. She has presented nationally at ESEA, ASCD, NCTM, NCSM, and NSLA, and was filmed for the documentary Can Movement-Based Learning Shift Math Mindset?
Laura Levine
President and CEO, Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy
Laura Levine has devoted her career to helping people of all ages better understand financial services through marketing and outreach, communications, and most recently, through education. In 2004, she became executive director of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a Washington DC-based nonprofit organization committed to “financial smarts for students,” and was named President and CEO in 2011.
Since taking over at Jump$tart, Laura has continued raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy and the need for effective financial education. Under her leadership, Jump$tart launched the Jump$tart National Educator Conference, Jump$tart Financial Foundations for Educators and J$FFE Online, Project Groundswell and Check Your School, as well as the coalition’s social media efforts.
Laura guided the expansion of Financial Literacy for Youth Month to the broader Financial Literacy Month (sometimes called National Financial Capability Month) observed today. While growing the coalition at both the state and national levels, she lead the enhancement of legacy programs including the Jump$tart Clearinghouse and National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education.
In 2008, Laura was appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy by President George W. Bush and chaired the Council’s Youth Committee. She is currently a member of the Experian Consumer Council, the Forbes Nonprofit Council, CNBC Financial Wellness Council, the Community Advisory Forum for Fifth Third Bank, and has held many voluntary appointments, including having served on the Parent Cabinet for DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson.
Laura speaks and writes on financial literacy topics, especially the important role of parents and family members. Laura began her career in credit unions and was a credentialed, Capitol Hill correspondent before moving into the securities industry. Laura served as Director of Editorial Services for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA) and, later, as Director of Education and Information for the NASD Office of Individual Investor Services. From 1999-2004, Laura was Director of the NASDAQ Educational Foundation.
A native of Los Angeles, Laura holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California. She does not consider herself a financial expert, but rather, a staunch advocate for financial education and information and – she hopes – she has raised a financially literate son.
Dr. Barbara O’Neill
Owner and CEO, MoneyTalk
Dr. Barbara O’Neill, CFP®, AFC® is the owner/CEO of Money Talk: Financial Planning Seminars and Publications where she writes, speaks, and reviews content about personal finance. A Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, she has written over 190 articles for academic publications and received over 35 national awards and over $1.2 million in grants to support her financial education programs and research. She tweets personal finance information @moneytalk1, writes weekly posts for her Money Talk blog, and is the author of Flipping a Switch, a book about 35 later life transitions, published in 2020.
Kirby Schoephoerster
Program Manager, National Math Foundation
Kirby Schoephoerster is the Program Manager for the National Math Foundation. Kirby holds a BA and MA in Classical Studies from St. Olaf College and Washington University in St. Louis respectively. During his academic career, Kirby held numerous positions including assistant instructor, academic researcher, language lab instructor, Latin/Greek tutor, and educational outreach coordinator. He was also elected by his peers to the position of vice-president of the St. Olaf chapter of Eta Sigma Phi (the National Classics Honor Society) and president of the Society for Ancient History.
His tenure as a grant writer, legal research intern, and consultant at Math & Movement, and as an extracurricular advisor and leadership consultant for Crimson Education, has greatly impacted the way he understands elementary education and the importance of incorporating kinesthetic learning into traditional curricula. As an experienced teacher, researcher, and leader with a background in the humanities and a passion for education, Kirby brings an academically holistic perspective to the team at the National Math Foundation.
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