IEF Approves Pair of Sites for Teachers Institutes

Two additional universities will host insurance education institute programs next summer, following a decision by the Board of Directors for the Insurance Education Foundation (IEF).

The University of Central Arkansas will host its first Insurance Education Institute in June at its campus in Conway, Ark. The institute will follow the traditional two-week format where participants reside on campus while completing this intensive training course.

Mississippi State University, Starkville, will host its first Insurance Education Institute in July. Mississippi State is piloting a new format, which will consist of an online segment that will provide a basic introduction to the topics in the three weeks preceding the one-week, on-site segment.

All institute programs are a three-credit hour, graduate-level insurance training course for high school teachers, counselors and administrators, community college instructors, and graduate students. They are funded by grants from IEF through the insurance industry, which cover all expenses for the participants, including tuition, room and board, and educational materials, with the exception of travel.

This course is designed for educators who teach insurance either as a specific course or as part of another subject. Its purpose is to enable teachers to become more effective in teaching insurance by providing the tools needed for understanding all forms of insurance, with an emphasis on the relevance to high school students and their families.

All programs will incorporate into their basic instruction guest speakers from the insurance industry and government agencies, panel discussions, field trips, lesson plan projects, and exams—all to meet the standards and guidelines as set by IEF and to fulfill each university’s requirements for graduate credit.

Topics will include:
· Introduction and Overview of How Insurance Works
· Insurance Regulation and Legal Environment
· Types of Insurance Companies
· Insurance Company Operations
· Risk Management
· Property and Liability Insurance
· Renters Insurance
· Homeowners Insurance
· Automobile Insurance
· Reinsurance
· Life Insurance
· Annuities and Pensions
· Workers’ Compensation
· Health Insurance and Disability Income
· Social Security and Medicare
· Family Financial Planning
· Careers in Insurance
· Current issues in insurance, e.g. terrorism and mold.

IEF will again fund in 2004 its institute programs at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, in June; St. John’s University, New York (Manhattan campus) in July; and Illinois State University, Normal, Ill., also in July.

For more information about IEF, the institute program, and/or other programs offered by IEF, contact Carol Silvey, Program Coordinator at csilvey@ief.org or 1-800-433-4811.

Topics Education Training Development Universities