What a great first day at the ISTELive 2022 Conference in New Orleans, LA! We loved meeting teachers who use NGPF in person and introducing future community members to NGPF’s mission and curriculum. Here is what we’ve noticed so far in the whirlwind Day 1 of ISTELive22:

1. It’s unique to hear about a product that is 100% free, and always will be!
2. The buzz around personal finance is definitely building outside of the NGPF community. Without fail, all of the people who stopped by to meet us agreed that personal finance education is crucial for students before they encounter real world financial decisions! This movement is growing and persuading new people along the way.
3. It was fascinating to see which NGPF resources and features “struck a chord” with different groups of attendees (details below!)

Most of the school or district administrators we met today were on the hunt for quick summaries of NGPF so they could make recommendations for teachers. Phew - we had it covered!

Instructional technologists and technology coaches were most interested in the adaptability of the NGPF curriculum. “How does this integrate with Canvas/Google Classroom/Schoology/other LMS?” was a question we got countless times today. These folks were excited to see how customizable and adaptable NGPF was - for different grade levels, settings, and yes - Learning Management Systems.

Our most frequent guests at the booth today were none other than TEACHERS! 

You better believe these educators were inspiring, inquisitive, and fun. Teacher friends, you never cease to amaze us at the creative ways you bring financial skills to your students. We even met one teacher who got hooked on Money Magic after perusing the NGPF arcade in search of personal finance games for his 8th grade students.

Between selfies with new friends and real life high fives (after many “Zoom high fives” over the years) with longtime friends, we left the exhibit hall more excited than ever to support the brilliant work you do.

Tomorrow, our two team members at the event will split time in the booth meeting attendees and ranging out to meet new EdTech partners.

Are you at ISTELive and haven’t seen us yet? Visit us at Booth #2724 before the conference is over to meet some of the team, ask questions, sign up for an NGPF Account, and view materials. Find us on the Expo Hall map.

About the Authors

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.

Christian Sherrill

Former teacher, forever financial education nerd. As NGPF's Director of Growth & Advocacy, Christian is laser-focused on our mission to guarantee all students a rigorous personal finance course before crossing the high school graduation stage. Having paid down over $40k in student loans in the span of 3 years - while living in the Bay Area on an entry level teacher's salary - he's eager to help the next generation avoid financial pitfalls one semester at a time.