Wharton’s Philadelphia Campus Looks Lovely for High School Educators this Time of Year

East Coast educators meet on Wharton's Philadelphia campus in November for the eighth PwC-KWHS Seminar for High School Educators on Business and Financial Responsibility.Read More

by Diana Drake

On November 13, 14 and 15, 125 high school educators from the East Coast converged on Wharton’s Philadelphia campus for the eighth PwC-KWHS Seminar for High School Educators on Business and Financial Responsibility. Throughout the three-day professional development opportunity, attendees deepened their knowledge, as well as exchanged thought-provoking and innovative ideas about teaching financial literacy and business and engaging tomorrow’s leaders. Most importantly, the group elevated the conversation around financial literacy: the successes, challenges and opportunities.

Throughout the weekend and in the days that have followed, educators have reflected on the dynamic and charismatic presenters from PwC and Wharton, who spoke on everything from global currencies and megatrends to accounting basics, innovation and the economic value of higher education. Educators also welcomed the chance to learn practical applications for PwC and Knowledge@Wharton High School resources through dynamic applied learning sessions.

Educators reported coming away on Sunday with a renewed energy for teaching and new strategies and insights that they could immediately introduce into the classroom on Monday morning. “There were so many knowledgeable teachers in the room and an exchange of best practices,” noted Emanuel Young, a teacher from New York City’s Manhattan Business Academy who recently began teaching at a new high school in St. Louis. “Being taught by Wharton professors reignited my passion for academics and for business.”

We all face challenges “keeping students engaged,” said Liz Miller, a business teacher from Broad Run High School in Virginia. “So, for me the most valuable part of this experience was the connection for new learning resources. I don’t have the time to surf the Internet to find all these lesson plans and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Now I have lots to work with.”

PwC and KWHS are looking forward to a new year of financial literacy and business education opportunities. Stay tuned for more information on future Seminars for High School Educators in San Francisco and Chicago, and contact us with any questions at KWHSSeminar(at)wharton.upenn.edu. Research past seminar topics and join the conversation with other educators on Twitter with #hsbfr.