USF Stavros Center receives $20,000 grant from State Farm to continue support of economics education workshops for K-12 teachers

TAMPA, Fla. (March 1, 2021) – The Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education received a $20,000 gift from State Farm in support of the Center’s ongoing programming for K-12 teachers to help educate students in economics and financial literacy.

Throughout its more than 40-year history, the Stavros Center has been recognized for excellence in economic education at the local, state and national levels. The gift provided by State Farm will allow the Stavros Center to continue its work in equipping educators across the Tampa Bay region with the knowledge and tools needed to teach financial literacy concepts in their classrooms effectively.

“For more than a decade, State Farm has generously provided funds in support of the Stavros Center’s financial literacy and economics education program,” said Dick J. Puglisi, PhD, professor and director of the Stavros Center. “Through its long-term support, State Farm has clearly demonstrated its commitment to support teachers in the USF region. We are very proud of our partnership with such a valued community-oriented company.”

State Farm began its partnership with the Stavros Center in 2010 to promote financial literacy education within K-12 schools. To date, State Farm has provided more than $200,000 in financial support to the Stavros Center.
“State Farm is proud to continue supporting the USF Stavros Center’s work in creatively educating and empowering K-12 teachers in our community,” said Jose Soto, State Farm Corporate Responsibility Analyst. “The professors at the Center do an amazing job in making the virtual workshops exciting and fun for the teachers along with providing practical tools and lesson plans the teachers can easily implement in their classrooms.”

The Stavros Center works with educators and school district leaders from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota county school districts to provide teacher training programs, curricula development efforts and other strategies to infuse free enterprise and consumer economics concepts into the classroom.

“Today, financial literacy is an essential life skill. By empowering teachers with knowledge, skills and confidence to infuse economics and financial literacy into their curriculum, young people will be better equipped to build responsible financial behavior,” said Judith Ponticell, PhD, professor and interim dean of the USF College of Education. “We appreciate the generosity and continued support of our State Farm partners, their commitment to the work of the Stavros Center, and their investment in the ongoing professional development of our teachers.”

To learn more about the work of the Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education, visit www.usf.edu/stavros.