By Vonda Van Til, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

With more people learning online, we would like to highlight some of the digital resources we have for educators.  Chances are a student will know someone who receives retirement or disability benefits.  This could be a way to relate our many programs to a new audience.  Showing young people that our programs help wounded warriors and children with disabilities can help them develop greater empathy and provide a path to inspired learning.

We offer an educator’s toolkit teachers can use to engage students and educate them on our programs.  The toolkit includes:

• Lesson plans with objectives;
• Infographics and handouts for each lesson plan;
• Links to Social Security web pages;
• Talking points; and
• Quiz questions and answers.

You can access the toolkit at www.ssa.gov/thirdparty/educators.html.

Parents are a child’s first educators.  You can use our toolkit to introduce your child or grandchild to the importance of having a social safety net for hardworking Americans.

We value and welcome the efforts all teachers make to educate America’s young people, and we want to help spark discussions with students about the benefits Social Security provides to millions of people.  Please share our toolkit with your favorite educators today.

Vonda Van Til is the Public Affairs Specialist for West Michigan.  You can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 or via email at vonda.vantil@ssa.gov.