What to Expect at EconEd 2026

At EconEd 2026, you’ll hear from Paul Krugman, Betsey Stevenson, Justin Wolfers, Eric Chiang, and Erika Martinez, alongside other fellow educators who bring the conversation directly into the classroom.

Sessions will tackle timely economic questions while offering practical ways to use real-world examples, lead evidence-based discussions, evaluate AI-generated answers, and strengthen students’ economic judgment. You’ll leave with adaptable teaching strategies, fresh ideas for engaging students, and new connections with fellow economics educators.

Explore the Agenda

November 13-14 | Chicago, Illinois
Two days to rethink how economics is taught in a world that won't sit still. Hear from leading economists, work through the hard questions alongside fellow instructors, and leave with ideas ready for the classroom.

    • 1:00 p.m. — Welcome to EconEd: The Questions Economics Classrooms Need to Answer Now

      Time & Location: 30 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Open EconEd with Susan Winslow, CEO of Macmillan Learning, for a welcome and candid conversation about the questions shaping economics classrooms today. You’ll have the opportunity to share what’s on your mind, ask questions, and help surface the challenges and priorities that matter most to you.


      1:30 p.m. — Opening Keynote: Economics for a World That Won’t Sit Still with Paul Krugman

      Time & Location: 55 minutes (40 minute keynote, 15 minute Q&A) | Grand Ballroom

      What do we know about the economics of AI? It has been four years since OpenAI released ChatGPT, enough time to learn some things about the technology's impact, with many mysteries remaining. AI is important, and it will likely raise productivity, but so far the gains lag those of the 1990s tech boom. Is this just a lag? AI has unleashed a huge investment boom, but is it a bubble? Its effects on jobs remain remarkably uncertain. It looks like a strongly capital-using technology that works against wages. But are appearances deceiving?

      Dive into these questions and more with Paul Krugman, and leave with ideas for how to approach these timely topics with your students.


      2:25 p.m. — The Table Take: What did the Keynote Change?

      Time & Location: 15 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Put Krugman’s questions to work. Pick one idea from the keynote that most challenged your thinking and consider what students should be able to do with it. Discuss your thinking with your fellow attendees and hear perspectives from across the room.


      2:40 p.m. — Refreshment Break

      Time & Location: 15 minutes | Foyer

      Regular and decaffeinated coffee, herbal and organic teas, assorted soft drinks, and bottled sparkling water.


      2:55 p.m. — Discussions Reimagined: Personal Stories, Real Economics, Genuine Engagement with Eric Chiang and Erika Martinez

      Time & Location: 55 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Students live economics every day: the consumer choices they make, the tradeoffs they weigh, their decisions at the voting booth. Eric Chiang and Erika Martinez will share how they build discussions around those experiences, moving from personal to practical to public, so students feel seen, apply real concepts, and produce work that is authentically theirs. Leave with ready-to-use prompts and a flexible framework you can adapt for your own course.


      3:50 p.m. — Refreshment Break: Lakeshore Thrive

      Time & Location: 10 minutes | Foyer

      Whole fruit, healthy snacks, fresh vegetables with hummus and vegan ranch, and cucumber-citrus-mint agua fresca.


      4:00 p.m. — Preparing Students for an Economy in Motion with Betsey Stevenson

      Time & Location: 30 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Today’s students will enter a labor market shaped by forces we’re only beginning to understand. Join Betsey Stevenson for a look at how technological change could reshape work, what remains unknown, and what that means for the skills and forms of judgement we all must help students build.


      4:30 p.m. — Restoring Trust in Economics: What Starts in the Classroom with Justin Wolfers

      Time & Location: 30 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      At a time when economic issues are increasingly prominent and polarized, how can instructors help students distinguish evidence from opinion? Join Justin Wolfers for a look at how greater transparency about economic reasoning, assumptions, and uncertainty can strengthen learning, support productive disagreement, and rebuild trust in the discipline.


      5:00 p.m. — Friday Synthesis: Carry the Question Forward

      Time & Location: 30 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Turn the day’s conversations into something you can carry forward. You’ll work with your colleagues to identify one idea that changed or sharpened your thinking and one question still worth exploring, then hear what’s rising to the top across the room. Your questions will help shape the conversations that continue on Saturday.


      6:00 p.m. — Welcome Reception: Cocktails & Conversation

      Time & Location: 60 minutes | Chateau Carbide Rooftop

      Enjoy cocktails and light bites while connecting with authors, speakers, and fellow attendees after an afternoon of dynamic conversations.


      7:00 p.m. — Dinner

      Time & Location: 2 hours | Gallery Ballroom

      Continue the conversation over a seated dinner with fellow attendees, authors, and speakers. Enjoy an evening designed for good food, thoughtful discussion, and connection beyond the day’s sessions.


    • 7:30 a.m. — Breakfast is served

      Time & Location: 45 minutes | Gallery 3,4,5

      Start the day with breakfast and time to connect with fellow attendees before Saturday’s sessions begin.


      8:15 a.m. — Welcome Back: Vote with your Dollars

      Time & Location: 20 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      On Friday, you identified the biggest questions you still want to explore. You’ll vote with your EconEd dollars on the challenges surfaced by the group, and the highest-priority topics will become focal points for the sessions and conversations that follow throughout the day.


      8:35 a.m. — Breakout Framing and Group Assignments

      Time & Location: 20 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      How can we help students engage more deeply, reason from evidence, and connect economics to the world around them? Across three hands-on breakout sessions, you’ll work with real economic data, explore ways to make course concepts more relevant, and exchange instructor-tested strategies for addressing persistent teaching challenges. Get a quick preview of the three hands-on breakout experiences before heading off with your group to the following three conversations:

      Note: Each breakout session will be approximately 45 minutes. All attendees will rotate through the three sessions, traveling in groups. This portion of the program will run from 9:10 to 11:50 am with a short break included.

      • Reading the Signal: From Data to Decisions with Ryan Herzog

        Turn economic data into stronger classroom decision-making. You’ll explore how to move students beyond simply reading a chart or dataset to asking what the evidence actually supports, what it leaves unanswered, and what conclusions can reasonably follow. You’ll also see how FRED Data Activities can bring real-world economic data into the classroom and support more meaningful analysis. Leave with practical ideas and activities you can adapt to help students interpret data, question assumptions, and connect evidence to real-world decisions.

      • Making Economics Matter: Engaging Students with the World Around Them with Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers

        Explore practical ways to make economics more engaging, relevant, and accessible, while helping more students see the discipline as something worth pursuing. Discover how adding current articles and videos to our Short Form Writing tool can generate meaningful assignments and rubrics that connect course concepts to real-world economic issues. See how these approaches come together in Achieve and gain ideas you can adapt for your own lectures, discussions, and assignments.

      • Wins Worth Sharing: Fresh Ideas for Teaching Economics with Eric Chiang

        The strongest teaching ideas often begin with a small classroom win. In this candid, applied roundtable, you’ll address persistent challenges in teaching economics and share the strategies, activities, and small changes that have led to meaningful wins in the classroom. You’ll leave with actionable ideas to adapt for your own course and new connections with colleagues who understand the realities of teaching economics today.


      8:55 a.m. — Breakout Rotation 1

      Time: 45 minutes

      Jump into the first of three interactive workshops designed to help you explore practical ways to strengthen economic reasoning, evidence, and decision-making in your course.


      9:40 a.m. — Rotation Transition

      Time: 10 minutes

      Make your way to your next breakout session.


      9:50 a.m. — Breakout Rotation 2

      Time: 45 minutes

      Continue with your second hands-on workshop and explore another approach you can bring back to your economics classroom.


      10:35 a.m. — Break

      Time: 15 minutes

      Grab refreshments, recharge, and make your way to your final breakout session.


      10:50 a.m. — Breakout Rotation 3

      Time: 45 minutes

      Complete your final workshop and round out the morning with a third set of ideas and strategies to consider for your course.


      11:35 a.m. — Return to the Grand Ballroom

      Time & Location: 10 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Return to the Grand Ballroom and settle in for lunch and the final sessions of EconEd.


      11:45 a.m. — Design Lab: Building the Future-Ready Economics Course

      Time & Location: 45 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Put the ideas from EconEd into practice by building or refining part of a course in Achieve. You’ll have time to work independently, exchange ideas with fellow instructors, and get optional guidance from product and economics specialists as you explore approaches you can use with your own students.


      12:30 p.m. — From Insight to Action

      Time & Location: 20 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      Take the ideas that inspired you at EconEd and see how Achieve can help you put them into practice. You’ll explore tools and AI-enabled features that can support more engaging, relevant, and future-ready teaching, then build or refine part of your course with hands-on guidance along the way.


      12:50 p.m. — Carrying EconEd Forward

      Time & Location: 10 minutes | Grand Ballroom

      The conversation doesn’t end when the room empties. Take a last look at what this group discovered together, then head home knowing how to keep the momentum going, from follow-up resources to ways to stay in touch with all of your new colleagues.


EconEd Spotlight!

Dive into our spotlight videos from our past EconEd conferences.

Video

Justin Wolfers

Justin Wolfers examines how AI is transforming economics education by enhancing student learning and easing educators' workloads. He highlights AI tools like personalized tutoring and automated grading that enhance student outcomes and let teachers focus on core principles. Wolfers encourages thoughtful integration of AI into curricula and shares innovative tools ready for use in classrooms.

Video

Betsey Stevenson

In her compelling session "Both Governments and Markets Fail: Teaching Economics with Real-World Insights," Betsey Stevenson illuminates  the intricate dynamics between government interventions and market forces. This EconEd session was incredibly insightful and provides perspective for educators as they help shape the next generation of citizens..

Video

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman engaged with Ryan Herzog (Gonzaga) and Aisling Winston (SUNY Buffalo) on pressing topics like The Fed, egg prices, inflation, tariffs, economic proposals from both candidates, rent control, and the concept of a 'soft landing.' Krugman delivers sharp, accessible insights rooted in deep economic theory. His direct and insightful responses address common economic misconceptions.

Video

Tyler Cowen

Tyler Cowen tackles today’s biggest policy challenges, from the risks and rewards of technology to the shifting ideological spectrum. His bold insights challenge conventional thinking and explore where U.S. policy is headed next.

Video

Dr. Chris Clarke

Dr. Chris Clarke, an economist and TikTok personality, explores how inequality, media, and partisanship shape public beliefs—often at odds with the data. This session challenges students and educators to rethink how biases affect understanding. The video and slides are great for classroom discussions or personal insights into the link between data and beliefs.

Video

Jonathan Meer

Jonathan Meer (Texas A&M University) shared his firsthand experiences as an early AI adopter in large-scale economics courses. While recognizing AI's benefits, he highlighted challenges and limitations encountered along the way. His insights offer a balanced perspective, featuring concrete examples of both successes and pitfalls. Meer’s session provides a practical and valuable roadmap for effective AI implementation.

Real Students. Real Stories. Real Support.

Sizzle Reel

Peer Consultants Share their Favorite Student Success Stories

Who doesn’t love a great student success story? Our Peer Consultants share some of their most inspiring ones in our latest sizzle reel.

Interview

Peer Consultant Spotlight: Erika Martinez

Erika Martinez is one of the most dedicated instructors we have met. As Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida she works with thousands of students every year. Erika is a contributor on the Chiang Principles of Economics for a Changing World text, and was instrumental in helping us develop the interactive graphs (see below for a preview!).

Achieve for Economics

Achieve for Principles of Economics supports students and instructors at every step, from the first point of contact with new content to demonstrating mastery of concepts and skills.

Visit Achieve for Econ Page

EconEd Archive

Weren’t able to attend our prior conferences? No problem! We have the last decade of our fabulous EconEd sessions recorded and available to view at your leisure! Some of the most influential minds in Economics have participated in past EconEd events such as: Justin Wolfers, Betsey Stevenson, Tyler Cowen, and Paul Krugman. Watch recordings of presentations from its inception in 2013 to this spring's webinar sessions.