Celebrating Our Teachers: The Gwartney/Stroup Award
In 2025, EFI’s commitment to making economics education practical, accessible, and transformative has taken another leap forward with the launch of the Gwartney/Stroup Award. The award – made possible thanks to Joe Calhoun the Director of the Stavros Center for Economic Education at Florida State University – honors secondary school teachers and vocational instructors who demonstrate excellence in teaching economics and fostering economic thinking among youth. It serves as a testament to the teachers who turn abstract principles into lessons that change how students see the world.
Named for economists James Gwartney and Richard Stroup, whose landmark books Common Sense Economics and Economics: Private and Public Choice gave generations of students the tools to connect economics with everyday life, the award honors educators who carry forward that same mission.
The award has been launched in several EFI countries already, each adding its own unique approach. In Georgia, our partners in GELi just launched team-based game for the teachers who participated in EFI’s Teacher Training Program (TTP). Working in groups of 7–10, they will design lessons, create visual resources, and even tackle budgeting challenges, ultimately bringing economics to life in classrooms across the country. More than 60 teachers are already engaged, a clear sign of the energy behind this initiative.
In Ukraine, where resilience is woven into every aspect of daily life, our partners at the Bendukidze Free Market Center announced the call for applications this summer. Seventy-six educators applied, and five finalists were selected, representing regions from Lviv to Kherson:
- Sedlyar Mykhailo, Kyiv: Lyceum "Scientific Change".
- Olga Butko, Kharkiv Region: Municipal Institution "Kharkiv Lyceum No. 4 of the Kharkiv City Council".
- Serhiy Vozhzhov, Zakarpattia Region: Mukachevo Secondary School of I-III Degrees No. 7, European School of Leadership and Business.
- Yulia Knorr, Kherson Region: "Kherson Scientific Lyceum" of the Kherson Regional Council, Municipal Institution "Small Academy of Sciences" of Student Youth of the Kherson Regional Council".
- Vasyl Havrylyuk, Lviv Region: Lviv Physics and Mathematics Lyceum-Boarding School at the Lviv National University named after I. Franko.
On October 3rd, 2025, during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Bendukidze Free Market Center, the team proudly announced the winner: Olha Butko, recognized for her dedication to developing economic thinking among Ukrainian youth.
“My mission is to open the world of opportunities to my students, to inspire them to grow and support them on their journey toward knowledge. Economic education is not just about numbers and terms, but about the ability to think strategically, make responsible financial decisions, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset,”— Olha Butko.
The reach continues to grow, with Kyrgyzstan planning to launch the award program later this year, fostering excellence and a drive to improve among educators united by the belief that economics education can empower entire generations.
The Gwartney/Stroup Award is a growing movement to recognize and uplift teachers who spark curiosity, nurture responsibility, and open doors for their students. As the award expands, so too does EFI’s vision of classrooms where economics is not a distant theory, but an everyday tool for opportunity and change.
