Insurance Education Foundation To Sponsor Teachers at Insurance Institutes

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 31, 2005)--Five universities will host the Insurance Education Institute, sponsored by The Insurance Education Institute (IEI), in 2005. This program is funded by grants from IEI, and is a three-credit hour, graduate-level insurance education institute for high school teachers. These grants, provided through the generosity of contributors from the insurance industry, 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 of insurance to high school students and their families.

The institute programs are held at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, St. John's University in New York (Manhattan campus), Illinois State University in Normal, the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and Mississippi State University in Starkville.

The institute at Mississippi State University provides an alternate delivery method. An online segment will provide a basic introduction to the topics for the three weeks preceding the on-site segment. The face-to-face portion will be on the campus of MSU where topics covered online will be reviewed and expanded. Guest speakers from the insurance industry and government agencies, field trips, and lesson plan projects will be incorporated-all to meet the standards and guidelines as set by IEI and to fulfill Mississippi State University's requirements for graduate credit. The other four institute programs will follow a traditional two-week, on-site format.

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, Worker's Compensation, Health Insurance and Disability Income, Social Security and Medicare, Family Financial Planning, Careers in Insurance, and Current issues in insurance, e.g. terrorism and mold.

The Insurance Education Institute is a nonprofit charitable organization devoted to improving public understanding of the role of insurance in society. The foundation pursues this mission primarily through the education of secondary school teachers and students.

For more information, contact IEI at 1-800-IEI-4811 or email info@IEI.org.