CSUSB professor receives national award for dedication in improving K-12 economics education

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- R.J. “Jim” Charkins, a Cal State San Bernardino economics professor and executive director of the California Council on Economic Education, has been honored by the national Council for Economic Education with its Adam Smith Award.

The award honors individuals “who have championed the cause of effective education in economic principles as part of the national education reform movement,” said Nan J. Morrison, president and CEO of the Council for Economic Education, in his letter informing Charkins of the award.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive this award and I am grateful to CEE for the recognition. But no award like this belongs to one person,” Charkins said. “Thanks to the Council for Economic Education and the California Council on Economic Education for the opportunities they have provided over the years and thanks to the California teachers who work so diligently to help prepare their students for success in this economy.

“While the award suggests that much has been done, there is so far to go in terms of helping our students understand the rules of the economic and financial ‘games,’” he said. “Over the last few years we have seen the results of economic and financial ignorance. Every time a student drops out of school or a young adult files for bankruptcy, it should be on each of our consciences and we should be taking educational action now.”

In announcing the award, the CEE listed Charkins’ accomplishments. “Dr. Charkins is dedicated to economic education and was the economics editor of the Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition Teacher's Guide for nine years,” the council’s announcement said. “Dr. Charkins served on the ten-member writing team for kindergarten-through-12th-grade national economics standards and as economics consultant to the California Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards. He also served on the review committee for the National Standards for Business Education.”

Previous recipients include two U.S. Senators, three U.S. representatives, a governor, three CEOs of major corporations, and a chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

This isn’t the first time the Council for Economic Education has recognized Charkins’ work. In 2011, Charkins, an economics educator for more than 40 years, was given the Bessie B. Moore Service Award by the council. The national honor annually recognizes an individual who has made significant impact in promoting and enhancing economic education.

In addition, Charkins received the 2012 Hilda Taba Award, the highest award given by the California Council for the Social Studies. This award is granted to a California man or woman who has made a significant contribution to social studies education in California.

Charkins has served as the California Council on Economic Education’s executive director since 1994, during which he authored the bulk of the CCEE’s programs. Headquartered at Cal State San Bernardino, the council aims to teach students how to make informed economic and financial decisions and the “rules of the game” for the labor, product and financial markets.  It does this through several educational programs, such as “MoneyWiseTeen,” the “Capital Markets Contest” and “Economics Challenge.”

The CCEE’s primary aim is to provide students with a fundamental lifetime grounding in economic concepts, enabling them to become educated workers, consumers, investors and citizens. The organization introduces children to basic economic principles, business skills and entrepreneurial concepts through a series of innovative programs. CCEE enjoys support from the California State University system, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the California Department of Education and the wider business community, acting as contributors and sponsors of the various programs.

For more information, visit the California Council on Economic Education’s website.

The Council for Economic Education is the leading organization in the United States that focuses on the economic and financial education of students from kindergarten through high school. For the past 60 years, its mission has been to instill in young people the fourth “R” – a real-world understanding of economics and personal finance. For more information, visit the CEE website.