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.
About the USF College of Education:
Home to more than 2,200 students and 130 faculty members, the University of South
Florida (USF) College of Education values high-quality education and excellence in
research, teaching and learning. Through innovative research opportunities, hands-on
field experiences and community partnerships, the College of Education provides the
resources students need to become world-class educators, researchers and leaders.
The USF College of Education is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator
Preparation (CAEP) and is fully approved by the Florida Department of Education.
About State Farm®:
The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover
from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the
largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its 19,200 agents and 59,000 employees serve approximately
84 million policies and accounts – over 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial
policies and over 2 million financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the
State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 36 on the 2020 Fortune 500
list of largest companies. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.com.