About the Center

Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy

In the summer of 2011, The University of Texas at Tyler launched the CEEFL to promote economic education and financial literacy throughout Northeast Texas. The unique approach to accomplishing this objective has been to provide professional development outreach to K-12 teachers. These teachers, in turn, integrate economics and personal finance across the elementary, middle, and high school curricula, with a multiplier effect. More than 2,500 K-12 Texas teachers have participated in CEEFL workshops. If each teacher reaches 100 students, then 250,000 Texas K-12 students can benefit from our CEEFL outreach, each and every year. CEEFL has now expanded that outreach at both ends of the educational spectrum to include pre-school and graduate school educators.

In 2024, CEEFL received a generous grant to further expand its outreach to any practitioner looking to promote financial wellness with individuals, families, and communities. The program, now called First Responder Finance, includes social workers, financial advisors, law enforcement personnel, and health care professionals.

First Responder Finance focuses on three key areas: new undergraduate courses resulting in a micro-credentialing certificate for student transcripts, professional development for first responders, and community programs like Family Financial Fun Nights, Invest in Girls activities, and student competitions.