San Diego County, CA–As families struggle to pay rent and find work amidst the pandemic, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has awarded the California Council on Economic Education (CCEE) with a $17,500 grant. The grant will help the state-wide nonprofit reach San Diego’s hardest hit communities with free access to economic and financial literacy education. Research has shown that economic and financial literacy can lead to improved financial behaviors, such as increasing strategic asset-building as well as strengthening individual self-advocacy when faced with systemic barriers. “When students are introduced to economic and financial education at a young age, in a structured classroom, with a well-supported educator, there is no doubt that there are long-term returns on that investment. During our programs, both teachers and students are learning the fundamentals of decision-making through a real-world personal finance lens–we’re creating intergenerational mobility and opportunity right in our very own classrooms! It’s a win-win situation for everyone. We can’t thank the Board of Supervisors enough for providing that access to San Diego’s teachers and families,” remarked CCEE President and CEO Denise Gutierrez The elected five-member board joins the growing national trend that has begun to examine and respond to the financial inequalities that have been exacerbated by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.