SCSU Professor Wins Two National Economics Teaching Awards

(KNSI) – Lynn MacDonald, an economics professor at St. Cloud State University, has received two national awards for curriculum excellence.

The co-director of the SCSU Center for Economic Education accepted the honors from the National Association of Economic Educators at their recent conference in Kansas City.

Her lesson package “Minimum Wage: A Minnesota Case Study,” co-authored with St. Francis High School teacher Kelly Lipinski, earned the Platinum Award of Excellence, the organization’s highest distinction. The grades nine through 12 curriculum examines the real-world impact of Minnesota’s $15 minimum wage policy.

A second lesson, “Intergenerational Mobility: Where Is the American Dream?”, co-authored with Shakopee High School teacher Megan Halbleib, earned the Gold Award of Excellence. It explores what shapes young people’s chances of moving up the economic ladder.

“These materials help teachers introduce students to economic research that shapes policy,” MacDonald said, “giving students a chance to explore issues they care deeply about while discovering what they can accomplish with the tools and skills of economics.”

Both lessons were developed in partnership with the Minnesota Council on Economic Education and are available to high school and college educators nationwide.

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