The California Council on Economic Education Tuesday announced a $50,000 donation from the U.S. Bank Foundation for a program that works to combat racial economic inequality.

The donation will go toward the council’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Opportunity Project, which is aimed at increasing financial education programming in K-12 Title 1 schools, cultivating a BIPOC teachers’ pipeline for its educator certification program, and expanding the Never Too Young program that primarily serves low-to-moderate income students.

The project will also increase the number of BIPOC students and teachers competing in the council’s student contests, including the National Economics Challenge.

“The BIPOC Opportunity Project is an important initiative focused on creating access to even more students to learn the fundamentals of economic and personal finance education,” said Jill McCullough, vice president of community affairs manager at U.S. Bank. “It has never been more important for our students to learn these significant life skills and we’re proud to work with CCEE to bring that education to all students, especially those in underserved communities.”

The council’s president and CEO, Denise Gutierrez, said, “We are at a critical crossroads when it comes to the economic outlook for millions of Californians. The pandemic, its financial fallout and racial inequities have made it clear that this falls disproportionately upon BIPOC. This generous $50,000 donation from U.S. Bank will allow CCEE to continue doing the work necessary to close opportunity and achievement gaps through economic education and empowerment.”

The council provides economic and personal finance education and resources to K-12 teachers, students and their parents throughout California to help them gain a real-world understanding of economics and personal finance and make better decisions to compete and succeed in the global economy.

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