Mission

The Missouri Council on Economic Education is a nonprofit organization, established in 1969, for the purpose of promoting economic understanding. Its strategy is to educate teachers in economics, providing them with the materials and methods essential to economic education. The Council maximizes the use of its resources by educating the teacher who then provides economics instruction for the remainder of a career. Kindergarten through high school teachers are trained in methods for integrating economics across the curriculum, thereby enriching subject areas such as language arts, math, writing, business, and the entire range of social studies.

The activities of the Missouri Council on Economic Education are carried out by Centers for Economic Education which are academically supported by and located at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis, at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, at Drury University in Springfield and with Operation Outreach serving Northern Missouri. The purpose of the Missouri Council is to raise funds, provide financial assistance to centers, and coordinate state planning and strategies to advance economic education throughout Missouri.

The Missouri Council on Economic Education (MCEE) has received the highest level of academic, business, and foundation endorsements. The Commissioner of Education for the state of Missouri is the co-chair of the MCEE Board of Trustees, and ranking corporate, state, and education officials are members of its board.

Nationally, the MCEE is part of an affiliated network of other state councils and centers operating under the name EconomicsAmerica. There is no other economic education organization in the world that brings the academic quality, educational soundness, and national recognition by professional organizations that is accorded EconomicsAmerica. This affiliation consists of exclusive mutual recognition requiring adherence to high standards of professionalism. The ability to link over 300 state councils and centers and establish a field where careers can be dedicated to promoting economic education has led to a growing impact on economic understanding nationally and internationally.

The activities of the Missouri Council on Economic Education have traditionally been funded by private contributions, mainly corporate and foundation. Limited university funds have assisted, and some funds are generated by tuition. The Missouri Council office is currently supported primarily by a competitive grant from Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), based on MCEE's ability to generate additional private money. Centers are each funded by the MCEE and by their own generation of grants, university support, sale of curricula, and tuition earnings.

The Council's goals are to foster greater financial support and gain recognition as the premier source for economic education in Missouri. Serious efforts in marketing and promotion are required. There is a great need for the development of new centers in the state, and for creative use of electronic communication to promote broader teacher access and impact. Private funding must replace the current dependence on state funds as the Council responds to its challenges in a positive manner that befits an organization with a critical mandate.