Looking to boost your confidence in the classroom this year? Earn more professional achievements? Brush up on current trends and personal finance content? Or become an NGPF Distinguished Educator? We've got you covered! From Virtual PD sessions to Certification Courses to opportunities for Arizona State University graduate credits, we've compiled a list of free professional development options to help you plan and achieve your goals for the year ahead.   

1. Complete a self-paced On-Demand module
NGPF offers 50+ asynchronous, online modules that can be completed at any time.  Each module takes approximately one hour to complete with options for beginners, current events, as well as unit-specific modules.

2. Enjoy a Virtual PD with a live instructor
NGPF Virtual PD's are live one-hour PD sessions offered multiple times per week. Brush up on your finance knowledge, get support for implementing activities in the classroom, and collaborate with other teachers in these interactive sessions. 

3. Attend an NGPF Speaker Series 

The NGPF Speaker Series is hosted every Thursday and gives you a chance to gain wisdom and interact directly with educators, authors, finance professionals, and influencers - all at no cost. Our first three sessions of the new year including learning Top 10 Financial Rules for Young People with Don Berkman, hearing how Chris Van Duin leads a team of students in running a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance clinic, and how to help first generation students succeed with Kyle Saelinger. 

4. Participate in a ten-hour Certification Course 
Certification Courses are NGPF’s most in-depth professional development format covering topics such as Investing, Banking & Budgeting, Insurance, and more. Each course combines nine hours of live virtual sessions focused on a core personal finance content area with a one-hour final exam. These courses are 100% free and most states that track professional development accept them for state CEUs. You can achieve the status of NGPF Distinguished Educator by earning 6 or more NGPF Certifications!

5. Prepare for the next ASU/NGPF graduate course opportunity
Arizona State University (ASU) offers three graduate courses for personal finance educators that rotate through Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts. Graduate courses are offered at no cost through an NGPF scholarship application process. 

NEXT UP! The next eligibility opportunity will be for ASU's Summer B and Fall A 2025 cohorts when ASU will be offering Investment Management for Educators and Risk Management for Educators. Prerequisite NGPF Certification courses for this opportunity should be completed by April 2025 to qualify.

SAVE THE DATE: In addition, the ASU Psychology and Technology in Personal Finance for Educators is scheduled to be offered again in Fall B 2025. Prerequisite NGPF Certification courses for the next opportunity should be completed by the end of August 2025 to qualify. 

6. Find NGPF At a Conference Near You!  
NGPF has put together a tentative list of conferences around the country where we hope to present an NGPF session for teachers. We hope that you will plan to join us! 

7. Save the date for the next NGPF Virtual Conference 
NGPF Virtual Conferences are open to all and feature 6-7 hours of programming at no cost. It's an opportunity to collaborate with other educators, be inspired by keynote speakers, and leave with ideas you can start implementing right away. The next NGPF Virtual Conference will be held during April - Financial Literacy Month! Watch your email inbox for registration information!

8. Watch the NGPF website for our summer FinCamp schedule
NGPF FinCamps are a FREE full day of in-person professional development where you have the opportunity to dive into NGPF's curriculum and resources, collaborate with other educators and get reinvigorated for the classroom. Stay tuned - the 2025 NGPF FinCamp schedule will be available soon! 

About the Author

Amanda Volz

Amanda joins the NGPF Team with over 20 years of experience teaching personal finance. During that time, she led her students to hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, won multiple awards, and most importantly, impacted the financial lives of thousands of high school students. Amanda prides herself on being an educational leader and is constantly looking for innovative ways to make the classroom relevant, rigorous, and fun. She is a passionate advocate for financial education and has been a long-time member of the NGPF community. Fun fact - Amanda was NGPF’s first teacher account! When Amanda isn’t working, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and traveling with her husband and two children.