There's a particular kind of quiet that hits in August, when you have the curriculum and the syllabus and the first-day slides ready to go, and underneath all of it sits the question nobody says out loud: am I actually ready to teach this? This summer's FinCamps were built to help teachers answer that with a yes.

Experience NGPF as a student. Plan as a teacher. Connect as a community.

FinCamps are free, full day of in-person professional development, spent working through NGPF's curriculum with our team alongside veteran teachers as well as new users. This summer we ran 27 of them, June through August, in 27 cities.

You sit inside a lesson the way your students will, so you know how it lands before you ever assign it. You work out where it fits in your course, your pacing, your room. And you spend the day with people doing the same work you're doing, because none of this holds up when you're doing it alone.

Every FinCamp is shaped by what the people who attend share with each other — the tweak someone made to an activity, the workaround for a 42-minute period, the lesson that flopped and what they tried the second time.

"It is my third year doing Fin Camp and it is always full of resources. Thanks NGPF for giving me confidence to start another school year." - Ft. Lauderdale 2026 attendee

New This Year

Differentiated Sessions for New and Veteran Users

Some teachers registered a few weeks after being handed the course. Others have taught personal finance for years and know the curriculum nearly as well as we do. Both were in the same room, and one generic agenda would not have served either of them well.

So we differentiated one of the sessions to provide a genuine entry point for teachers new to this content and enough depth that experienced teachers weren't spending an hour on something they already knew.

"This was my first time going, but I loved every moment. I was not overwhelmed. I really appreciated all of you." - Dallas FinCamp 2026 attendee

Sessions Co-Led by NGPF Ambassadors

At a number of FinCamps this summer, NGPF Ambassadors co-led sessions alongside our team. Ambassadors are teachers who have used NGPF curriculum in their classrooms for a long time and have participated in many hours of NGPF PD.

Our team knows this curriculum inside and out, and many of them came to NGPF out of classrooms of their own. Pairing that with Ambassadors who are teaching right now put two kinds of expertise at the front of the room instead of one.

"I like that I was able to be pushed as someone who already has been using the curriculum to find new resources and things that I may have not tried before." - Atlanta FinCamp 2026 attendee

We're Listening

The new format this year happened because of feedback we received last year. We read every survey. The praise is lovely; the critiques are essential, and they are already shaping what 2027 will look like.

More teachers joined us this summer than last year: 1,441 educators, up from 1,031 in 2025. That growth is its own kind of feedback, and we don't take it for granted.

Thank You for Giving Us a Summer Day

Twenty-seven cities and a whole lot of dedicated teachers who could have spent their summer doing anything else. When you walk into your classroom this fall, we hope you already know you've got this.

And for those of you who weren't able to attend this year, keep an eye out next spring to see where you can join us in 2027.

"This has been one of the best PD's I've attended. I feel more confident and educated and ready to take the school year.” - Dallas FinCamp 2026 attendee

About the Author

Kaytie Brissenden-Smith

NGPF's Professional Development Operations Manager Kaytie is a former early childhood teacher, instructional coach, and social justice advocate.

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