Economic Foundations in U.S. Civics

Economic Foundations in U.S. Civics

The Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) will join us to present Economic Foundations in U.S. Civics, a one-day intensive professional development program designed to equip teachers with economic reasoning tools that bring America’s constitutional design to life in the classroom. As an added benefit, educators who attend and successfully complete the full workshop will receive a $100 stipend.

Workshop Details

• Oct 19, 2026
  9:00 am - 2:30 pm
• JMU Festival Allegheny Room
  1301 Carrier Dr
  Harrisonburg,, VA 22807
  Get Directions
• Grade Level: High School, Middle School
• Potential Recertification Credits: 5
• Instructor: Lauren Shifflett, Associate Director
• Contact Person:
  Lauren Shifflett, Associate Director
  James Madison University
  540.568.3248
  shiffllh@jmu.edu
• Fee: No charge

FTE is coming in to present a workshop on Economic Foundations in U.S. Civics is a one-day intensive professional development program that equips teachers with economic reasoning tools to bring America’s constitutional design to life in the classroom. Participants move through the same three signature simulations their students will experience — Jamestown, the Congressional Trading Floor, and the Presidential Decision Matrix — gaining both content knowledge and facilitation confidence along the way.

Teachers leave with ready-to-use lesson materials, debrief strategies, and a reusable analytical framework that helps students evaluate any government action through the lens of incentives, trade-offs, and marginal thinking. This program is designed for educators across both economics and civics disciplines, reflecting the intentional integration of constitutional principles and economic reasoning at the heart of the curriculum.

As an added benefit, educators who attend and successfully complete the full workshop will receive a $100 stipend.