Today’s In the Community check in is with Thunderbirds Big Chief Tim Woods and Elena Zee, President and CEO of Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE). Zee and Woods discussed the current challenges surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, what ACEE is doing to respond to current challenges and what immediate and essential needs they require to continue to provide educational services throughout the Valley and Arizona.

The Arizona Council on Economic Education is dedicated to teaching every Arizona student economic and financial literacy, and workforce development to help them in their adult lives. Through their strong, affiliated academic base with universities and community colleges, partnerships with the Arizona Department of Education and the Federal Reserve Bank, ACEE prepares teachers and students so they may learn personal finance, economics and entrepreneurship – all skills young people need as they grow older.

Thunderbirds Charities, the charitable giving arm of The Thunderbirds – hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open – has been a generous supporter of ACEE, providing monetary funds for operational and capital needs to empower thousands of students each year.

During the conversation, Zee spoke about how community involvement is essential to a thriving economic education program.

“The number-one key [around community involvement] is advocacy,” said Zee. “Advocate for the program to make sure schools continue to provide these personal finance and economics education opportunities to the students. The second-best way to get involved is volunteering because the schools are still trying to find their anchor and figure things out. And finally, financial support always helps. It’s nonstop every day.”

To learn more about ACEE or make a donation, visit their website.

To volunteer with ACEE, CLICK HERE.