We want to begin with a massive THANK YOU to the 450+ educators who joined us for our annual Back to School Conference last Saturday! With your energy and enthusiasm, it became our most-attended conference since 2021, totalling over 2,000 PD hours! As we begin the new school year, this is the perfect time to revisit conference sessions, rewatch the keynotes, and check out what PD offerings we have next. 

Your dedication to learning helped make this event a huge success. On average, each attendee joined over 4 sessions throughout the day. And we couldn’t have done any of this without our all-star facilitators: Amanda, Christian, Tim, & Yanely, who each led 4 sessions. Here is what you said: 

• “The interactives were fantastic. Thank you!!!! AND Amanda is phenomenal!! Her passion comes through in all workshops she runs!”
• “Woooow, this Christian guy was funny. Favorite NGPF PD I’ve been to.”
• “Tim does a great job of showing the material and making it fun!!”
• “Amazing information and insight from Mellody and Yanely, excellent job as an interviewer!!!”

Revisit Our Sessions & Keynotes

Slides, resources, and recordings from our first two keynotes are live on the Back to School Conference Page. Mellody Hobson’s keynote recording will be released soon. A big thank you to Jenelle Dito (FICO)  and Dan Otter & Scott Dauenhauer (403b Wise) for kicking off our day with great presentations. Here are some of your reflections on our keynotes:

• FICO: ”Jenelle was a great presenter and the breakdown on the difference between FICO scores and the updates shared were great.”
• 403b Wise: “This was something geared towards US, which is really refreshing at this time of year. Thank you for this!”
• Mellody Hobson: “It’s not the cards you’re dealt, it’s how you play your hand. This PD was full of wisdom I can use in my classroom and in life. Mellody was inspiring as I start the new school year.”

What Did Teachers Think of Our New Arcade Game?

Another conference highlight was test driving our newest game: Shady Sam’s Slick Wheels. It was a hit with both seasoned fans of Shady Sam and first-time players:

• “This is a FABULOUS GAME! I can't wait to have my kids play it when I teach financial lit this year!”

• “What a blast to see the designers behind the games we love and the chance to play the new game. Love. Love. Love.”

• “VERY interesting session to hear more about the process of arcade game development and how that connects into NGPF curriculum. Probably my favorite of the day..”

Sessions So Great, We’re Running Them Again

We’re already rerunning some of your favorite sessions from the conference! Check out what’s coming this September:

Money Lessons in Middle School

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 4:00 PM PT
Explore engaging strategies and resources for teaching personal finance topics to middle school students in developmentally appropriate and relevant ways.

Revving Up: NGPF’s New Arcade Game, Shady Sam’s Slick Wheels

Monday, September 15, 2025 | 4:00 PM PT
Get behind the wheel and test drive NGPF’s newest Arcade game. Learn how to bring car ownership, hidden costs, and smart shopping to life in your classroom.

Boost Engagement with Digital Interactives

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 4:00 PM PT
Learn how to use NGPF’s digital interactives to create a more engaging, student-centered classroom environment.

Ready for the School Year!

We're so grateful for each and every one of you. It’s an exciting time and with the conference behind us, let’s keep our eyes on the road for a great year.
Just remember: you probably don’t want to buy a car from Shady Sam!

See you at PD soon!

About the Author

Albert Perez

As NGPF's Professional Development Program Manager, Albert leads Professional Development, works with school districts, and supports the implementation of NGPF's personal finance curriculum.