Mar 29, 2026

Meet the Speakers at This Year's Financial Literacy Month Virtual Conference

We've already told you about the three pathways you can take at NGPF's Financial Literacy Month Virtual Conference on April 11, 2026. Now, we want to introduce our conference speakers. 

The speakers joining us this year bring expertise, energy, and relevance to your classroom and your own financial life. Here's who you'll see (and why you won't want to miss them).

Julia & Philip from PBS Two Cents — 7:00 am PT / 10:00am ET

The conference kicks off with the duo behind Two Cents, PBS Digital Studios' personal finance series. Julia and Philip have built a following by making money topics feel accessible, engaging, and fun. In this opening session, they'll share what they've learned about explaining financial concepts in ways that actually stick, along with practical strategies to build financial confidence for yourself and your students. If you've used their videos in your classroom, this is your chance to hear directly from the people who made them.

Yanely Espinal, Author & NGPF Director of Educational Outreach — 8:10 am PT / 11:10 am ET

Yanely is the kind of personal finance educator who can hold a room. Her session, Mind Your Money: Simple Strategies to Reach Your Money Goals, is built for teachers, equal parts practical and relatable, covering goal-setting, budgeting, credit, and long-term wealth building. She skips the dry lecture format and delivers content that's honest and actionable. Teachers who attend will walk away with ideas they can apply to their own financial lives and adapt for their students. Plus, one lucky conference attendee will win a classroom set of her book, Mind Your Money.

Melissa Gordon, Personal Finance Educator — 8:10 am PT / 11:10 am ET

One of the highlights of any NGPF conference is hearing from teachers in the field, and this year is no exception. Melissa Gordon brings hands-on classroom experience to her session, Turning Assignments into AI-Literacy Opportunities. Melissa will walk teachers through how to set clear boundaries for student use of AI, how to enhance learning with AI tools, and how to keep student thinking at the center throughout. You'll leave with concrete, ready-to-use strategies you can implement right away, from a teacher who has already put them into practice.

Dan Otter & Scott Dauenhauer of 403bwise — 9:20 am PT / 12:20 pm ET

Dan Otter and Scott Dauenhauer have made it their mission to cut through the complexity of educator retirement plans and advocate for better investment options for K–12 teachers. Their session, Better Way to Save for Retirement: 403(b) or 457(b)?, takes on one of the most confusing decisions educators face, and answers it with clarity. Whether you're just starting to think about retirement or have been trying to make sense of your options for years, this session is for you.

Kyla Scanlon, Author & Economic Educator — 10:30 am PT / 1:30 pm ET (Keynote)

Kyla Scanlon is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the most prominent economic voices on social media, known for helping audiences move from confusion to clarity on the forces shaping our financial lives. Her keynote, In This Economy? Engaged & Empowered Money Minds, will help teachers who support their students to make sense of today’s economic uncertainty. Kyla brings real-world insight and the ability to make markets and money feel less overwhelming. As an added bonus, 200 attendees will win a copy of her book.

Lucretia Ryan, Founder of FinancialFreedomforWomen.org — 11:40 am PT / 2:40 pm ET

Lucretia Ryan rounds out the featured speaker lineup with a session that hits close to home for many teachers: Medicare & Social Security: Avoid These Retirement Mistakes. Did you know that nearly 96% of people claim Social Security at the wrong time? Lucretia breaks down how to choose the right Medicare plan, including an insight into Medicare Advantage, and explains what teachers in non-Social Security states need to know to get the most out of their benefits. This one is personal finance for you, the teacher.

The Details

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 7 am – 3 pm PT / 10 am – 6 pm ET
Cost: FREE!
Prizes: Attend two or more sessions to be eligible for a $50 Amazon gift card. One attendee wins a classroom set of Yanely Espinal's book, and 200 attendees win a copy of Kyla Scanlon's book.


Join us at our April Conference and hear from these experts. Come for the speakers who speak to you; leave with ideas, tools, and a renewed sense of what's possible in your classroom and your own financial life.

Register for the conference today!

 

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.

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