New York Fed Economic Education offers accessible and informative presentations in your classroom. Visits are designed to reach students at the high school and introductory college level that may benefit from additional resources to teach economic and financial literacy. Presentations are free and can be scheduled Tuesday through Friday during the school year, subject to availability. Schools in the Federal Reserve's Second District (New York State; northern New Jersey; Fairfield County, Connecticut; Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) receive priority for scheduling. Visits can be conducted either virtually or in-person, which may be determined according to staffing and business needs.
Interested professors and teachers should request a visit. Please note that requests are reviewed and scheduled on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
Classroom visits give students an opportunity to learn directly from New York Fed educators and subject matter experts. The program aims to advance understanding of the Federal Reserve and help develop students' economic and/or financial literacy skills, as a complement to an existing social studies, civics, history, economics, and/or business curriculum.
During each visit, New York Fed staff present one of the following lessons:
Introduction to the Federal Reserve System
This 45-minute presentation details the structure of the Federal Reserve as a decentralized central bank and its policy responsibilities. Topics covered include:
- What is the Federal Reserve System?
- What is the structure of the Federal Reserve System?
- What is the Federal Reserve's role in the economy?
Introduction to Monetary Policy
This 45-60-minute presentation explains how the economy's health is measured and the Fed's role in supporting its health, using analogies to explain everyday ideas and concepts. Topics covered include:
- Key indicators used to study the economy, such as GDP, inflation and unemployment
- How the Fed uses the federal funds rate to influence interest rates in the economy
- Expansionary v. contractionary monetary policy
Think Like an Economist
What do you think of when you hear the word, "economics"? This 45-minute presentation explores how economics includes not just money and banking, but also human behavior and the choices people make. Students will learn about the economist toolkit, be introduced to current economists and their work, and explore careers in economics. This presentation can also be offered for career day events. Topics covered include:
- Who are economists and how do they think?
- How can I apply the economist toolkit?
- What are some career opportunities in economics?
Building Healthy Credit*
This 45-minute presentation teaches students key financial literacy concepts and strategies to manage credit. Students will also discuss various case studies to apply what they’ve learned about when to use credit. Topics covered include:
- What is a credit report?
- How do you build healthy credit?
- When do you use credit?
