Portraits of Empowerment Class Combines Ethics and Economics

The Ethics Institute is excited to announce its new elective, Portraits of Empowerment: Leading with An Economic Mindset, in the Upper School. The class is co-taught by Karen Rezach, Director of the Ethics Institute; Alicia Rodriguez, Economic and Financial Literacy Coordinator; and Anna Conti, Associate Director of the Ethics Institute. 

Throughout the one-trimester course, students will learn introductory economics concepts by studying influential women leaders and how they use economics and ethics to empower their decision-making. Students will bring together ethics, economics, and leadership in preparation to navigate their future with a keen sense of tradeoffs and ethical vision.

“Portraits of Empowerment is another great differentiator for Kent Place School. Our students will not only be ethical leaders,” says Dr. Rezach, “but also able to make economic decisions with an ethical lens. Their skills can change the world.”  

“The course was designed with the school’s mission in mind. It will give girls a thorough grounding in economics — essential to navigate our ever-changing world,” says Mrs. Rodriguez. “Through the use of women role models, students will see the connections between ethical and economic decisions. The impact of this course is sure to be profound.” 

In a recent class, students munched on doughnuts and were prompted to rate their satisfaction (on a scale from 1-10), with every bite. As economists, they then explored how product satisfaction increases and decreases over time.