Nearly half of U.S. high school students say they do not know how to establish good credit and more than one-fourth believe they will be unprepared to manage their finances upon graduation. This is according to recent research that reveals a lack of financial literacy among American youth. But teachers and schools can now turn to a dynamic interactive learning module, Foundations of Finance, to introduce students to fundamentals of personal finance, such as saving, applying for student loans and buying a car, among other features.









The module — one of three aligned with the Council for Economic Education ’s standards for economics — is offered by CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms.Foundations of Finance also presents students with fundamentals of economics using real-world scenarios, interactive components, embedded assessments, and accompanying Educator Guides.









The Foundations of Finance module is part of an Econ Essentials trio of standards-aligned educational modules that includes: The Facts About Food, which lets students take a journey from "farm to table" by serving as an advisor to a farm, and Fueling the Future, which challenges students to start a shuttle business.In The Facts About Food module, students learn how the supply chain and other global factors influence supply and demand. They also explore the role of economics in food prices as well as what influences food prices.With the Fueling the Future module, students learn about supply and demand by discovering how and why gas prices fluctuate and the impact of changing gas prices on their daily lives. Students apply their knowledge to set a ticket price for their business to determine if they make a profit.





Teachers find that the Econ Essentials educational program helps their students learn fundamental economic principles in an engaging, digital environment."Students become equipped to make wise decisions in both their public and private lives, and also grow such important skills as critical thinking, problem solving, media and information literacy," says Jackie Prester, business and technology teacher at Mansfield (Mass.) Public Schools.

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After Years of Decline, One Food Category Is Making a Big Comeback





If there is a word that best describes the American diet over the past decade, it may be “abundance.” The modern grocery store has virtually eliminated seasonal and geographical differences to offer a wide array of proteins, fruits, vegetables and fats that should make meal planning a breeze.





Yet, the American palette continues to evolve. Today’s consumer is more educated than ever before, and better-for-you choices that began with “low-fat” and “organic” have expanded to include gluten-free, non-GMO and other considerations for healthier eating.





As fast-food chains scurry to post nutritional information on menus, and snack food manufacturers develop new, better-for-you options, one area of the grocery store is enjoying a comeback: frozen fruit juice concentrates.





First introduced in 1946, frozen juice concentrates became a hit by combining convenience and fresh-when-you-make-it taste in an affordable package that was easy to store. Yet, sales began to dim in the past decade as consumers began to look towards low-calorie and bottled sports drinks.





However, an array of innovative new products has been introduced into the frozen juice aisle the past 12 months that have flipped the traditional frozen juice category on its ear. Frozen fruit and vegetable blends, “green” smoothies, blended coffees and frozen teas all break the norm of frozen juice yet offer the same fresh-when-you-make-it appeal. So while category sales have yet to fully rebound, retailers have definitely taken notice.





“We’re really excited about the short- and long-term potential for the frozen juice category,” said Kevin Miller, vice president of marketing at the Sparta, Mich.-based Old Orchard Brands, the nation’s second-largest producer of frozen juice concentrates. “We’ve introduced more than a dozen new products in just the past year, and several of our key retail partners have allocated more space to get them in the store. We remain optimistic about the long-term viability of frozen juices.”





Among the innovation Miller references is a line of fruit and veggie frozen concentrates that combine carrot, sweet potato and beets together with peach, mango, blueberry and other juice favorites to provide a full serving of fruit and vegetables in each glass. In addition, the leading frozen juice company introduced a line of sweet tea blends, and it will unveil a frozen coffee line this year.





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