The publication called Cowin "the Rolls Royce of financial literacy," a reference to the an innovative professional development program she has funded for public school teachers in New York City and beyond that addresses the critical need for high-impact financial literacy in students in grades 9-12.

Launched in fall 2012, The Cowin Financial Literacy Project is a partnership among Teachers College, the New York City Department of Education and the nonprofit Working In Support of Education (W!SE). 

"Joyce is living proof that you don't always have to be in the classroom to have a profound impact on the lives of students and the ways they learn," said Jennifer Raab, President of Hunter College, in introducing Cowin. "Joyce's longtime association with Teachers College has led to some of New York's great advancements in the field. From helping to found and fund East Harlem's Heritage School for the arts to her one-of-a-kind financial literacy project, Joyce has found unique ways to do more than give. She creates. Joyce figures out what's missing from students lives and works to fill in those gaps."