Mission
Our Mission
We believe every student deserves the tools to navigate life’s economic realities and grow into responsible citizens, informed consumers, effective workers, prudent savers, and confident decision-makers in a global economy.
At the Center for Economic and Financial Education at Western Washington University, we equip educators with the training, resources, and support they need to bring economics and personal finance to life in the classroom.
Beyond the classroom, we engage in research that helps shape state policy, guiding lawmakers as they work to expand access to high-quality financial education across Washington.
Our History
The Center for Economic and Financial Education (CEFE) is housed within the Department of Economics in the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.
CEFE was established in the fall of 1978 with the objective of improving the quality and expanding the scope of economic education in the State of Washington. Western Washington University's CEFE is affiliated with the Council for Economic Education (CEE) and the Washington Council for Economic and Financial Education (WACEFE). Founded in 1974 as a partnership of education, business, and labor, WACEFE is the premier source of teacher training, educational materials, and curriculum reform in economics for Washington schools. Through its affiliation with CEE, Western's Center for Economic and Financial Education and WACEFE both gain access to resources from a nationwide network of councils and university centers.
Our Audience
The Center for Economic and Financial Education (CEFE) serves Washington’s teachers, principals, K–12 students, learning communities, and state policy decision makers. Through professional development, classroom resources, and applied research, we equip educators to teach economic and financial concepts with confidence, support students in building real-world skills, and inform policy that strengthens financial education statewide. Together, we are working to ensure every Washington student graduates prepared for the financial realities of adulthood and active participation in the global economy.