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Fostering a generationFostering a generation of independent thinkersof independent thinkersProgress ReportProgress ReportJune 2023June 2023

Message from our President & CEOOn behalf of everyone at Certell and the teachers who use our resources, I wouldlike to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and generosity. Your commitment to our mission has made a profound impact on the lives ofmillions of students. Your donations have enabled us to achieve remarkablemilestones and carry out vital initiatives. Thanks to your support, we were able toexpand the scope of our mission into higher education which will make a tangibledifference in the lives of the individuals who may not have otherwise been able toattend college.We understand that behind each donation is a story, a compassionate heart, and adesire to make the world a better place. Your belief in our vision has inspired us topush boundaries, innovate, and strive for excellence. Your contributions havehelped paved the way for long-term solutions, fostering lasting change, andcreating a brighter future for all.Once again, thank you for your exceptional generosity and for being an integralpart of our story. Your support has been instrumental in our journey, and we areprofoundly grateful for your trust and belief in our mission. We look forward tocontinuing our partnership and working together to achieve even greater heights.With heartfelt appreciation,Fred J. Fransen, Ph.D

Certell helps teach kids to think, not what to think.POPTENTIAL™Certell’s award-winning Poptential high schoolcurriculum introduces anunderstanding of basiceconomics and the proper roleof government into classrooms *Access to student data is complicated by privacyrestrictions. We derive the number of studentsreached by multiplying the number of teachers by100 students per semester (five classes x 20students/class).At Certell, we envision a world where all individuals have access to theeducational tools they need to think independently and live abundantly. Webelieve that education is the foundation of a healthy and thriving society. Allpeople deserve access to a well-rounded and unbiased education that preparesthem to be informed and engaged citizens. Simply put, we seek to empowerindividuals to participate in our democracy by educating them on their rights andresponsibilities, the structure of government, and the importance of civicengagement. Unfortunately, too often, students receive a narrow and biased education thatfails to adequately prepare them for their role in society. This is especially true inCivics, Economics, American History, and World History, where students arefrequently exposed to one-sided perspectives and incomplete narratives.That is why we arecommitted to providingstudents with acomprehensive, unbiased,and high-quality education.Since 2016, our network hasgrown from reaching 7,500to more than 3 millionstudents taught by morethan 30,000 social studiesteachers per semester.*in all fifty states and internationally. All content is available at no cost to teachersvia our digital platform, which is designed to allow students access to lessonseven in poor bandwidth environments. The platform gives educators real-timeanalytics on student learning to help teachers refine lessons and betterunderstand the progress of individual students.

Individualism: displayed in self-ownership (agency), self-interest, personal growth,and responsibilityLiberty: displayed through respect for free speech, religious liberty, a free andindependent press, and the protection of propertyEgalitarianism: displayed through legal equality, diversity, equal opportunity, andsocial and economic mobilityEntrepreneurship: displayed through a celebration of innovation, “secondchances,” and the “pursuit of happiness”Governance: displayed through limited government, checks and balances, theseparation of powers, and federalismTrade: displayed through appreciation of commerce, gains from trade, valuecreation, and an economic way of thinkingCivic Engagement: displayed through voluntary associations, a strong civil society,active citizenship, and a philanthropic spirit.In order for a society to thrive, individuals not only act alone, but must also worktogether. The following concepts are fundamental to the participation of citizensin the common good of the community through its institutions:Poptential content is designed to help students understand, and develop anaffinity for, the values of what we call “American principles," a set of conceptsthat represents the core principles at the foundation of American civic life. Theseconcepts are enshrined in key documents such as the Declaration ofIndependence, The United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. This combination of concepts is uniquely American. Applied to individuals itincludes:As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist #1, it is an openquestion whether societies are capable of establishing goodgovernment “from reflection and choice,” or whether we aredoomed to depend upon “accident and force.” More thanever, we need a new generation of young people to takeseriously their responsibility to think independently and to actconstructively. By understanding and evaluating AmericanPrinciples, we believe they will be able to take up thischallenge.

Instructors with experience are more comfortable teaching economics andpersonal finance, yet teachers with less experience are more comfortableusing simulations during instruction. Teachers using Poptential from Certell e-books and supporting content feelthey are more effective.66% of the teachers say that their use of Poptential allows them to createmore interactive and relevant lessons.50% of the teachers say that their use of Poptential helps them facilitategreater collaboration opportunities for their students.In 2022, we commissioned a study by Project Tomorrow, a nationally recognizedresearch organization, to evaluate general trends among economic educators andlook at the reputation of Certell’s economics curriculum. The study found that the vast majority of high school students are not financiallyliterate but respond well to economics and personal finance courses that includedigital tools in their curriculum. According to the study, just 10% of teachers saythat their students are at a level of proficiency higher than basic when beginningan economics course, and 53% report students at below basic proficiency levels.This lack of financial literacy among high school students indicates why basiceconomics and personal finance courses should be required in high school, butjust 25 states require that students take an economics course to graduate, andonly 15 require personal finance. If students don’t improve their understanding ofeconomics and finance at the high school level, they may never be exposed to it.Finding from surveyed teachers include:The use of popular culture references (98%) and simulations (98%) are consideredespecially valuable for conveying key concepts.The most used pop culturecontent includes videos, music, TV episodes, and social media.Other interesting findings of the study include:

As valuable as survey data is toreturn on investment, there isno substitute for directmeasurement of reach andimpact. Certell is at theforefront of the movement tocreate real-time tools tocapture information about howteachers and students use ourcurriculum, its impact on theirlearning, and how that learningshapes their views abouteconomic freedom and limitedgovernment.Measuring ImpactFollowing the release of theupdated application in August,we began rebuilding the teacherdashboard, which we’re callingEngauge™, to take advantage ofour increased data capabilities.Engauge allows teachers andadministrators to monitor this,combined with enhancedcommunication abilities withinand outside the app, will improvethe teaching experience andallow businesses and otherorganizations to offer theiremployees and clients coursesand training. Teacher DashboardReal-Time Analytics and Tracking

Who is using Poptential - and where?As part of our database improvements, wewere able to verify and map the schools whereour teachers work in real-time through theircourse materials. Of the 32,195 teachersubscribers on June 30, we were able toindependently connect 14,500 to nationaldatabases (45% of those subscribed throughJune 2022). We now know, for instance, that we havemore teachers in rural than suburban schoolsand considerably more teachers in urbanschools than we would have predicted. In addition, we confirmed that most of ourteachers are in public schools, approximately4% are in private schools, and another 4.5%are in Catholic schools. We also learned thatin fall 2022, 13% of our teachers are inhomeschool environments. 2022 NAEE Curriculum Bronze Award from the National Association ofEconomic Educators for our educational game, Economart 2022 Finalist EdTech Leadership Awards2022 Finalist EdTech Cool Tool AwardsThe 2021 Teach & Learning Award of Excellence - Secondary EducationWinnerThe 2021 Tech Advocate Awards Finalist for Best Lesson Planning App AccoladesWe are proud to report that our programmatic impact has been broadlyrecognized by industry groups across the education and tech landscape,including:

There is widespread agreement that our higher education system fails to produceproductive individuals ready to prosper personally and contribute positively to theircommunities through work and civic engagement. An important explanation is thatour schools have been teaching the wrong things. But equally important, oureducational institutions have failed to adapt to changes in information, learning,and the technology which today drives both. We have a predominantly 19thCentury education system, offering bad 20th Century ideas to 21st Centurystudents. Moreover, that 19th Century system has become more unaffordable tostudents and society. To address these challenges, we have pursued a comprehensive reform of theeducation system that caters to the needs of 21st-century students:The cost of education today is driving away hundreds of thousands ofstudents and forcing others into crippling debt. It used to be possibleto pay for college by saving during high school, working hard duringthe summer, and working part-time during the school year. Today, thatwould hardly make a dent. Students are being denied the opportunity to explore the fundamentalideas which make possible a flourishing and free democracy. Inessence, they are being denied access to a basic education in thethings necessary for good citizenship and productive lives.Colleges are not graduating students with the basic skills necessary tobe successful in the workplace. This is not only true of their technicalor critical thinking skills, but even more of basics like work ethic,speaking and writing clearly, basic math, and even good manners likemaking eye contact or not checking one’s phone during aconversation.Affordable AccessBasic FoundationsCareer Readiness

status quo. By 2020, it had become clear that despite many local successes,this strategy would not achieve its aims for systemic change.In response, educational reformers began considering alternatives by creatingnew institutions, and several new college projects have been launched. Whilewe applaud those efforts, at heart, they replicate the current failed model—with little more innovation than a change in personnel. They are still builtaround 19th Century models. And are doing nothing to adapt to moderntechnology and learning styles or to change the cost curve.We believe that true disruption requires structural changes which go wellbeyond changes to the faculty and syllabi. As a result, we are rethinking howcostly but critical in-person experiences are blended with technologicaladvances. Our overarching goal is to create a unique, two-year global collegeexperience which serves tens of thousands of students per year. Next StepsIn April 2022, we purchased Huntington Junior College to restore its place as apillar in the local community and become the core of an innovative competency-based college experience for those who never liked school, both nationally andinternationally. Since then, we have increased enrollment by 50%. We anticipateFY23 revenue to be nearly $1.7 million and expect the Huntington campus to becash-flow break-even by the end of calendar 2023.From 2005-2020, most efforts in highereducation reform focused on existinginstitutions, supporting faculty and programswho sought to create internal alternatives to the. We have been reaccredited through 2032, restructured thecatalog, redesigned the general education requirements toinclude a four-course sequence in Civics and a course inpersonal well-being, and engaged in significant rebranding.In addition, we have engaged in a top-to-bottom planningprocess designed to create the human and technicalinfrastructure necessary to achieve maximum growth.

The Civics Education Program (CEP) is a set of four courses, each twelve weeksin length. Inmates with a high school diploma or GED (or with comparable abilities)read, study, and discuss basic and advanced materials in four areas: Civics, Ethics,Literature, and Economics. Recently, the Florida Department of Correctionsreport shows that of the 40 CEP participants who have reentered theircommunities, 96% have not reoffended, leading to a 4% recidivism rate forthose released over two years. While the demand forthe CEP program andthe number of studentscontinues to climb, thetrue measurements ofsuccess are thechanges in attitudesand behaviors in theinmates who completethe program andbecome contributingmembers of theircommunity once theyare released. A few ofthose are picturedhere.Our current resources allow us to offer Civics to 314 inmates, but there is along waiting list at each facility, and many more facilities are interested inadding programs.CEP is now operating in five sites (three in Florida, one in Texas, and one inIndiana). At the flagship South Bay, Florida program, we are now offering pilotcollege courses through HJC while awaiting eligibility from the U.S. Department ofEducation for Pell grants for incarcerated students. We anticipate receiving suchapproval by as early as fall 2023. Once approved, as many as 6,000 inmates may beeligible for the CEP program at HJC.

We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support and generosity of ourvalued donors. Your contributions have played a pivotal role in driving ourprogress and making a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve.Through your continued support, we have been able to achieve significantmilestones and advance our mission.Over the past reporting period, we have witnessed remarkableaccomplishments across our programs and initiatives. Our team has workeddiligently to maximize the impact of every dollar donated, ensuring thatresources are allocated efficiently and effectively. None of our achievements would have been possible without your invaluablesupport. Your trust and belief in our vision have been instrumental in fuelingour progress and enabling us to make a meaningful impact. We are deeplygrateful for your dedication and philanthropy, which have inspired us toredouble our efforts and strive for even greater success.As we move forward, we are committed to maintaining transparency,accountability, and excellence in all that we do. We will continue to leverageyour contributions to create positive change, working tirelessly to address themost pressing challenges faced by our society.Once again, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every donor whohas played a role in our journey. Together, we are making a lasting differenceand creating a brighter future for countless individuals and communitiesaround the world.Thank you!

For more information contactLisa@Certell.org To make a donation visit Certell.org/donate or use the QR code below.