Programs
Our Programs
Stavros Center Programs, Workshops and Seminars
The Stavros Center hosts numerous *FREE* professional development opportunities throughout the school year and summer for K-12 educators. The workshops are aimed at arming teachers with tools for implementing economic education and financial literacy curriculum into their classrooms. Subject areas vary from Science, Social Science, Civics, Economics, Math, Sustainability and more.
We distribute fliers VIA district contacts within 6 surrounding counties including: Hillsborough, Polk, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota.
We look forward to having you join us for these exciting and interactive professional development activities. Below you will find a list of current programs and workshops for educators. For more information about upcoming workshops and seminars, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact us.
Every workshop has a "Registration Survey" button at the bottom of the description. One week before the workshop you have registered for, you will receive a confirmation email that includes details and parking information. Additionally, a reminder is sent the day before. In person workshops are held at USF Tampa in the Stavros Center (4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620) from 5:30pm-8:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursday. Virtual Workshops vary.
Fall 2026 Schedule:
DAte: Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Peter Trakas
Funding your Classroom: A Stavros Center Grant Program:
Join the Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education for a hands-on workshop designed to help educators turn classroom ideas into fundable projects.Learn how to find grant opportunities, write a compelling proposal, develop measurable outcomes, create a realistic budget, and avoid common grant-writing mistakes.
And there’s more! Workshop participants will have the opportunity to apply for a Stavros Center Classroom Grant to bring their ideas to life. During the workshop, you’ll begin developing your own grant idea and leave with the tools, knowledge, and action plan needed to pursue funding for your students.You’ll learn how to: identify grants that fit your classroom, turn a classroom need into a fundable project, develop measurable goals and outcomes, build a strong, realistic budget, strengthen your proposal and avoid common mistakes, apply for a Stavros Center Classroom Grant
*There is no Stipend for this workshop. Three teachers who participate will have a chance at a classroom grant.
Come with an idea. Leave with a plan—and an opportunity to fund it!
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Kara Windish and Andrew Tillman
The Price is Right... and Engagement is Priceless: Gamifying Financial Literacy Like Game Night for you Classroom:
Come on down! You've been selected to level up your financial literacy instruction,
and you might just have the time of your life doing it.
Join us for a hands-on evening exploring the power of gamification in the classroom.
We'll show you how beloved board games and iconic TV game shows can become your most
engaging tools for reviewing financial literacy concepts turning abstract ideas into
unforgettable, student-centered experiences.
Survey says... your students will be engaged. We'll take inspiration from the spin
of the wheel, the drama of the buzzer, and the life lessons of the board to build
activities you can use right away. From navigating the ups and downs of the Game of
Life to going head-to-head in a Family Feud-style review showdown, you'll leave with
fresh strategies and a game plan ready to play.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Brian Wassmuth and Angel Danger
Teaching Smarter with AI: Intermediate Notebook LM and Google AI Tools:
In this follow-up workshop, now that we've explored what NotebookLM is and how it
serves as an AI-powered research companion, the next step is understanding how it
transforms the way we work with information. Once you have uploaded your content into
NotebookLM, the real magic begins. More than just a repository for your files, NotebookLM
serves as an AI-powered thought partner that helps you interact with your materials
in meaningful and time-saving ways. Whether you're a teacher developing differentiated
instruction, or a student preparing for an exam, NotebookLM can help you quickly uncover
key concepts, identify connections across sources, and generate personalized learning
experiences.
In this next step, we will explore how NotebookLM can transform your existing resources
into engaging, interactive content. Learn how to ask questions of your materials,
compare information across multiple sources, and use AI to brainstorm ideas, support
research, and deepen understanding. You'll discover practical strategies for leveraging
NotebookLM to save time, increase productivity, and create more engaging learning
opportunities that meet the needs of today's learners.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Adam Kloper and Andrew Tillman
The Price of the Pitch: Exploring the Economics of the Rays Stadium Project:
What does a baseball stadium really cost—and who pays for it? In Bats, Bonds, and
Bleachers, educators will step into the middle of one of the Tampa Bay area’s most
talked-about economic questions: the proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal and its
impact on Hillsborough County and the local economy.
Using the stadium proposal as a real-world case study, participants will analyze public
and private costs, projected economic benefits, opportunity costs, and long-term trade-offs,
considering the perspectives of taxpayers, team owners, local businesses, and fans.
Along the way, we’ll expand beyond the deal itself to explore the broader economics
of baseball—from how ticket prices and concessions are set, to why stadium food costs
so much, to how the Rays consistently compete with one of the lowest payrolls in Major
League Baseball.
This interactive session will model classroom-ready strategies that help students
think critically about incentives, data, and competing claims, while connecting economics
to an issue happening right in their own community. Whether you teach elementary,
middle, or high school, you’ll leave with engaging ideas for using sports, local decision-making,
and real numbers to make economics meaningful, relevant, and fun.
Come ready to crunch the numbers, debate the trade-offs, and see America’s pastime
through an economic lens.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Angel Danger and Lisa Lawson
Implementing Civil Discourse:
This interactive workshop equips teachers at all grade levels with practical strategies
to foster respectful, thoughtful discussions in the classroom. Participants will learn
how to promote critical thinking, guide students through complex or sensitive topics,
and cultivate a classroom culture where diverse perspectives are valued.
The session also focuses on helping students recognize and evaluate multiple viewpoints.
Using examples from economic contexts—such as differing interpretations of “cost”—educators
will explore how perspectives shape decision-making and influence public policy.
What You Will Learn:
•Techniques for facilitating structured, student-centered discussions
•Strategies for navigating challenging or controversial topics respectfully
•Approaches to helping students analyze multiple perspectives and support their ideas
with evidence
•Methods for creating a safe, inclusive environment that encourages meaningful dialogue
Participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies to help students communicate
effectively, think critically, and engage in productive conversations across all subject
areas.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Beverly Ledbetter and Benjamin Donatelli
Zombieconomics: The Economics of Survival:
Forget boring worksheets—this workshop turns economics into a survival challenge -where every decision affects your group’s chances of survival. Teachers will experience economics and financial literacy through the lens of a fictional zombie apocalypse. Participants will navigate panic buying, inflation, budgeting disasters, bartering systems, prioritizing needs over wants, and resource shortages while exploring engaging classroom strategies for teaching economic concepts and financial literacy with a touch of creepy fun! When the undead rise, could YOU survive financially?
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Marlee Strawn and Lisa Lawson
Innovative Mindset- Unlearn to Innovate:
The most powerful shift an educator can make isn't learning something new —it's creating
space by letting go of what no longer serves their students. Innovation doesn't just
require new ideas. It requires releasing the old ones.
In this engaging 3-hour workshop, educators will examine the assumptions and habits
we've all inherited about how learning "should" look —and explore how releasing those
patterns opens the door for students to think creatively, take risks, and truly innovate.
Through hands-on reflection activities, collaborative design challenges, and real-world
innovation examples, participants will uncover the beliefs that may be quietly limiting
student potential and leave with a clear, actionable plan to rebuild their classroom
culture around curiosity, creativity, and possibility.
Participants leave with:
Strategies for identifying and releasing outdated classroom assumptions
Ready-to-use activities that build student creativity and risk-taking
Tools for shifting classroom culture toward innovation and experimentation
Reflection protocols to help students examine their own learning habits
Practical frameworks for designing student-centered, innovation-ready learning experiences
Empower students to think beyond the expected, challenge what they think they know,
and develop the creative confidence to approach any problem with an open and innovative
mind.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Beverly Ledbetter and Benjamin Donatelli
A Seat at the Table: Eleanor Roosevelt and Economics of Equality:
Explore the powerful connection between human rights, economics, and financial literacy through the lens of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this interactive workshop, teachers will examine how access to education, fair wages, food, housing, and opportunity shapes both individual financial success and the economic health of societies. Participants will also spotlight the leadership and global influence of Eleanor Roosevelt, whose work helped bring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life after World War II. Teachers will experience ready-to-use lessons that encourage students to think critically about rights, responsibilities, scarcity, opportunity, and economic decision-making. Walk away with creative, classroom-ready strategies that bring civics, history, and financial literacy together in meaningful and memorable ways.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Kara Windish
Funding the Future Concert:
The night opens with a live performance by Carter Hulsey, a powerful singer/songwriter who blends music with real-world financial lessons. His performance sets the stage for an insider’s look at the music industry, the perfect way to inspire both students and educators.
Learn how new technologies and industry changes are shaping today’s music economy—and how those lessons translate to financial literacy in the classroom. Whether you’re teaching supply and demand or preparing students for careers in creative industries, this workshop equips you with the tools to make financial literacy relevant, relatable, and exciting.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Angel Danger and Denise Kanner
Sustainability Superheros Unwrap Gift Giving:
A Scientific & Economic Approach to Smarter Holiday Choices (Aligned with SDG 12)
Turn holiday stress into powerful learning! Join this engaging workshop designed for
K–12 educators to explore the science, psychology, and economics behind gift giving—and
bring meaningful financial literacy into your classroom.
Discover how the brain responds to giving, why so many gifts miss the mark, and why
experiences often matter more than things. Examine the hidden economic and environmental
costs of holiday consumption—and learn how to guide students toward smarter, more
sustainable choices.
You’ll gain:
•Insight into the “warm glow” effect and the science of generosity
•Research-based strategies for identifying meaningful vs. wasteful gifts
•Ready-to-use lessons on budgeting, decision-making, and self-control
•Grade-level teaching ideas—from early trade-offs to high school consumer psychology
•Tools to help students avoid impulsive spending and post-holiday regret
Empower your students with emotional intelligence, financial confidence, and a deeper
understanding of what truly makes a gift meaningful. Help them focus on connection—not
consumption—this holiday season.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2026 (5:30pm-8:30pm)
Location: Gus A. Stavros Center 4111 USF Willow Dr. Tampa, Fl. 33620
Presenters: Marlee Strawn and Lisa Lawson
Innovative Mindset- The Failure Advantage- Innovation Through Productive Struggle:
Turn mistakes into opportunities for innovation! This engaging 3-hour workshop helps
K–12 educators create classroom cultures where resilience, creativity, risk-taking,
and problem-solving thrive.
Discover how inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators use setbacks as
steppingstones to success. Through hands-on design challenges, innovation labs, and
real-world problem-solving activities, participants will explore strategies that help
students embrace productive struggle, revise ideas, think creatively, and persevere
through challenges.
Learn how to transform standards-based lessons into student-centered innovation experiences
that foster critical thinking, collaboration, and entrepreneurial mindsets while maintaining
strong alignment to Florida B.E.S.T. Standards.
Participants leave with:
•Strategies for building resilient, innovation-focused classroom cultures
•Ready-to-use innovation challenges and design-thinking activities
•Tools for teaching perseverance, reflection, and growth mindset
•Student collaboration and problem-solving protocols
•Innovation journal templates and reflection resources
•Cross-curricular lesson ideas aligned to Florida standards
Empower students to think like inventors, learn from failure, and develop the confidence
to tackle tomorrow's challenges with creativity and determination.
THE FIRST 30 TEACHERS TO REGISTER AND ATTEND WILL RECEIVE A $50 STIPEND
Thursday, December 3 Dinner and a Movie
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