The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at UC

08/31/2026

Thirty years ago, when our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) was launched, "money lessons" in elementary school meant counting coins, balancing a mock checkbook, and perhaps a field trip to the local bank branch to open a passbook savings account.

Today's 10-year-olds are managing money through apps, perhaps using their own debit card, and maybe even learning how to invest through programs like the Stock Market Game.

Another important shift: two decades ago, only one state required a standalone personal finance course to graduate high school. Thirty-nine states require that now.

Programs like StEP teach students these skills early through real-world experiences: earning StEP bucks through hard work in the classroom and good attendance, and making their own decisions about spending, saving, and donating those earnings.

As we celebrate StEP's 30th, we're determined to evolve to meet the needs of students in 2026 and beyond, and are grateful for the supporters, school partners, and volunteers who make our programs possible.

08/27/2026

Thank you, Millstone Fund, for your generous support through the Enhancing Financial Literacy to Empower Independence for Students with Disabilities grant! This partnership made it possible for us to train K-8 educators on $martPath All Access, giving them practical tools to teach budgeting, decision-making, opportunity cost and more, making those lessons meaningful and lasting for children with developmental delays.

We're proud to see this work building confidence in classrooms and helping more students gain the skills they need for independence and long-term success.

We're grateful for partners like Millstone Fund who invest in accessible financial education!

The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at UC helps equip educators and students with the tools needed to make sound financial decisions.

Through the Enhancing Financial Literacy to Empower Independence for Students with Disabilities grant, Millstone Fund supported professional development for K-8 educators and the use of $martPath All Access, a curriculum designed to make financial literacy instruction more accessible for diverse learners. This work helped teachers introduce concepts like budgeting, decision-making, and opportunity cost in practical, engaging ways that better support students with disabilities.

By strengthening educator confidence and expanding access to inclusive financial literacy instruction, this project is helping more students build skills that support independence and long-term success.

08/24/2026

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP), we wanted to tell you a little bit about the phenomenal woman behind the name.

Susan Sargen was an economist; in fact, one of only two women admitted to the PhD program at Stanford University in 1965. She believed the discipline's tools: rigor, models, and evidence, weren't just academic. She saw them as a way to understand poverty, and a path toward fixing it. She spent her career and her volunteer life proving that belief, as an advocate for the disadvantaged and a mother of four who taught her sons that a life well-lived is one spent serving others.

After she passed away in 2016, her husband Nick looked for a way to carry that belief forward. He found it in StEP: a program that hands kids real economic decisions to make, with StEP bucks they've earned for good behavior, attendance, and classroom performance. It was such a natural fit for who Susan was that the Economics Center re-named the program in her honor.

This year, as StEP marks 30 years in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky classrooms, we're looking back on an interview we did with Nick Sargen several years ago, explaining why the program is so important, and why Susan would have loved it.

08/19/2026

Big news: the Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) turns 30 this year!

For three decades, the Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program has taught Greater Cincinnati kids how to make careful decisions. Students earn StEP bucks for good behavior, strong attendance, and classroom performance, then decide how to use them: spend at our StEP stores set up in schools (buying school supplies, toys, and other items), save to earn interest, or donate to a cause chosen by their school.

We're kicking off our 30th year the way we always do: with StEP kickoffs in the coming weeks and our first StEP stores opening in schools across the Tristate in October. Follow along as we celebrate three decades of StEP impact with stories about the students, what they learn, and our dedicated army of StEP volunteers.

08/13/2026

Today, the Alpaugh Family Economics Center was proud to join the Ohio Bankers League and Union Savings Bank in hosting a homebuyers seminar at COED Columbus.

The event featured a roundtable discussion on the challenges of homebuying and affordable housing; a conversation that turned naturally to the importance of strong, foundational financial literacy in helping people navigate these decisions with confidence.

Many expert Realtors joined the discussion, along with State Senator Michele Reynolds, JD, Chair of the Ohio Senate Housing Committee. Senator Reynolds spoke from the heart about her personal journey into public service and her passion for affordable housing and supporting marginalized and vulnerable populations.

We're grateful for partners like OBL and Union Savings Bank, and for events like this one that bring awareness, connection, and education to our community.

08/11/2026

More than half of Americans are now asking ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini for investment advice, but should you trust a chatbot with your money?

On LOCAL 12, WKRC-TV's Good Morning, Cincinnati, Sue Heilmayer, Co-Executive Director of the Alpaugh Family Economics Center, breaks down what AI gets right, where it falls short, and how to use these tools wisely when it comes to your money and financial planning.

A new survey finds that more than half of Americans are turning to AI for financial and investment advice

08/10/2026

Are you rushing out to the store with the kids this week, trying to finish up the back-to-school shopping? What a great opportunity to teach your kids about "needs and wants", a core economics concept!

A backpack is a need. The $100 backpack from the trendy store is a want. Headphones are a need, but the $200 name brand ones are a want. Gym shoes may be a need, but $150 sneakers are a want. Same category, very different price tags, and that gap is exactly where kids learn to make choices.

Needs get a yes. And sometimes, wants get a "no", which is a powerful lesson, too.

08/05/2026

Our co-executive director Sue Heilmayer sat down with LOCAL 12, WKRC-TV's Katie Amrhein to talk about how Cincinnati families can make the most of Ohio's sales tax holiday, which begins on Friday.

After being expanded to two weeks the past two years, the holiday returns to its traditional three-day format this year.

https://local12.com/news/good-morning-cincinnati/ohio-sales-tax-holiday-back-to-school-savings-university-cincinnatis-alpaugh-family-economics-center-prices-comparison-shop-shopping-supplies

Ohio's annual sales tax holiday returns this weekend, giving shoppers a chance to save on back-to-school purchases and other eligible items.

08/03/2026

50 years ago, a group of Cincinnati leaders believed economic education could change lives. This year, we're celebrating that impact, and looking ahead.

Thanks to a $10 million planned estate gift from longtime board member Peter Alpaugh, whose father helped found the Alpaugh Family Economics Center in 1976, our future is more secure than ever.

We asked our current and former leaders, staff, and volunteers what that future looks like. Their answer: bigger risks, innovative programs, and a new generation ready to lead.

07/28/2026

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Alpaugh Family Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati. Founding Executive Director Dr. George Vredeveld and current Co-Executive Directors Sue Heilmayer and Brad Evans reflect on the Center's staying power and enduring mission.