By CEE

Council for Economic Education Competition Showcases Mastery of Essential Life Skills

NEW YORK (June 4, 2021): Students from Millard North High School in Omaha, Neb., earned the top title in this year’s National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) for showcasing their understanding of an essential life skill: how to manage money, whether you have a lot of it or not much at all.

Nearly 10,000 students from more than 350 schools competed across the United States in the NPFC this spring. Students from the Applications & Research Laboratory school in Ellicott City, Md., ranked as first runner-up, with teams from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, Calif., and Germantown High School of Madison, Miss., rounding out the top four finalists from the 24 semifinals teams.

The competition showcases students’ ability to use their knowledge to assess a family’s financial situation and present a thoughtful plan including earning, spending, saving, using credit and investing.

Organized by the Council for Economic Education (CEE) with help from the Nebraska Council on Economic Education, it was held entirely online due to COVID-19. The NPFC is sponsored by Voya Financial.

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“Congratulations to the students and teachers from Millard North, Applications & Research, Bellarmine and Germantown and to every student who studied personal finance during this COVID-affected school year,” said Nan J. Morrison, CEE president and chief executive officer. “We see in all the teams who competed that managing your money smartly is not something young people just know – it’s something they need to learn.”

“In states with personal finance requirements, students exhibit more informed behavior around college financing.”

In 21 states, students are required to take a course in personal finance, according to CEE’s biennial Survey of the States. In other states, personal finance skills that many used to take for granted – creating budgets, understanding interest, credit and goal-setting – may not even be on the agenda.

“Our research indicates that in states with personal finance requirements, students exhibit more informed behavior around college financing, and that’s particularly true for those from economically challenged families,” Morrison said. “In states without requirements, there is a 16-point gap in access to financial education between kids from lower-income versus wealthier families.”

“These high school students are facing financial independence in just a few short years,” said Heather Lavallee, CEO of Wealth Solutions, Voya Financial. “The National Personal Finance Challenge is equipping stellar teams from around the country with smart decision-making skills to navigate that milestone and forge a path to financial security.”

The post Nebraska High School Team Wins National Personal Finance Challenge appeared first on Council for Economic Education.

POSTED: June 8, 2021 | BY: brendan

By Daniel Thompson

Challenge Participation Climbs, Spotlighting the Value of Economic Education

New York, N.Y. (May 25, 2021) – For the third consecutive year, Mount Hebron High School from Ellicott City, Md., outscored student teams from around the United States to win both divisions of the 21st Annual National Economics ChallengeSM (NEC) sponsored by the Council for Economic Education (CEE).

The school emerged atop the 375 schools that participated. In all, more than 10,000 students competed nationwide in the NEC, the country’s only economics competition for high school students. The Challenge was held entirely online due to COVID-19.

“It’s encouraging to see the benefits of economic education shining so brightly in all of our participants, with educators, parents and students truly valuing economic thinking,” said Nan J. Morrison, CEE’s president and CEO. “The caliber of students never ceases to amaze me, and the Mount Hebron High School team from Ellicott City, Md., is once again a further testament to this. We applaud them and all who participated in the challenge and in high school economics courses.”

CEE’s NEC builds critical thinkers and tomorrow’s leaders, Morrison added. The competition recognizes exceptional high school students for their knowledge of economic principles and their ability to apply problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to real-world events.

Students advance from NEC state level competitions to a final quiz bowl and critical thinking presentation on an economic issue and problem by competing in one of two divisions depending on their level of experience. The Adam Smith division is for advanced placement, baccalaureate and honors students as well as any returning competitors. The David Ricardo division is for students participating in the NEC for the first time and who have taken no more than one economics course. The winning Mount Hebron school fielded teams in both.

The Challenge also included an international round featuring a quiz bowl between the top U.S teams and China’s winners from CEE’s NEC: International managed by its exclusive partner in China, SKT Education. Four thousand Chinese students participated in the Challenge in China, with 192 advancing to the worldwide finals. Mount Hebron High School also won the international quiz bowl in both the David Ricardo and Adam Smith divisions competing against Xi’an Gaoxin No.1 High School-International Course Center and Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School.

Steve Liesman, senior economics reporter for CNBC, emceed the U.S. competition, and Karen Finerman, chief executive officer of Metropolitan Capital Advisors and panelist on CNBC’s Fast Money, hosted the China competition.

More details on the National Economics Challenge can be found on CEE’s Twitter page and by searching the hashtag #EconChallenge or visiting www.NationalEconomicsChallenge.org.

Note to editors: A list of all U.S. teams that participated in the Challenge finals is available below.

About the Council for Economic Education and the National Economics Challenge:

The Council for Economic Education’s mission is to teach K-12 students about economics and personal finance so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families and their communities. We carry out our mission by providing resources and training to K-12 educators and have done so for 70 years. Nearly 2/3 of the teachers we reach in person are in low- and moderate-income schools.

Media contacts:

Kate Alexander kate@successioncommunications.com, (201) 638-3946

Lisa Fels Davitt lisa@successioncommunications.com, (973) 886-1917

State champion teams in the 21st Annual National Economics Challenge finals May 22-24, 2021.

ADAM SMITH DIVISION:

· BASIS Scottsdale (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

· Chattahoochee High School (Johns Creek, Ga.)

· Conestoga High School (Berwyn, Pa.)

· Dublin High School (Dublin, Calif.)

· ‘Iolani School (Honolulu, Hawaii)

· Mount Hebron High School (Ellicott City, Md.)

DAVID RICARDO DIVISION:

· Half Hollow Hills High School East (Dix Hills, N.Y.)

· Irvington High School (Fremont, Calif.)

· Lexington High School (Lexington, Mass.)

· Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (Richmond, Va.)

· Mount Hebron High School (Ellicott City, Md.)

· Plano West Senior High School (Plano, Texas)

The post Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Md. Clinches the 21st Annual National Economics Challenge from the Council for Economic Education appeared first on Council for Economic Education.

POSTED: May 25, 2021 | BY: brendan

By CEE

Challenge Participation Climbs, Spotlighting the Value of Economic Education

New York, N.Y. (May 25, 2021) – For the third consecutive year, Mount Hebron High School from Ellicott City, Md., outscored student teams from around the United States to win both divisions of the 21st Annual National Economics Challenge (NEC) sponsored by the Council for Economic Education (CEE).

The school emerged atop the 375 schools that participated. In all, more than 10,000 students competed nationwide in the NEC, the country’s only economics competition for high school students. The Challenge was held entirely online due to COVID-19.

“It’s encouraging to see the benefits of economic education shining so brightly in all of our participants, with educators, parents and students truly valuing economic thinking,” said Nan J. Morrison, CEE’s president and CEO. “The caliber of students never ceases to amaze me, and the Mount Hebron High School team from Ellicott City, Md., is once again a further testament to this. We applaud them and all who participated in the challenge and in high school economics courses.”

CEE’s NEC builds critical thinkers and tomorrow’s leaders, Morrison added. The competition recognizes exceptional high school students for their knowledge of economic principles and their ability to apply problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to real-world events.

Students advance from NEC state level competitions to a final quiz bowl and critical thinking presentation on an economic issue and problem by competing in one of two divisions depending on their level of experience. The Adam Smith division is for advanced placement, baccalaureate and honors students as well as any returning competitors. The David Ricardo division is for students participating in the NEC for the first time and who have taken no more than one economics course. The winning Mount Hebron school fielded teams in both.

The Challenge also included an international round featuring a quiz bowl between the top U.S teams and China’s winners from CEE’s NEC: International managed by its exclusive partner in China, SKT Education. Four thousand Chinese students participated in the Challenge in China, with 192 advancing to the worldwide finals. Mount Hebron High School also won the international quiz bowl in both the David Ricardo and Adam Smith divisions competing against Xi’an Gaoxin No.1 High School-International Course Center and Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School.

Steve Liesman, senior economics reporter for CNBC, emceed the U.S. competition, and Karen Finerman, chief executive officer of Metropolitan Capital Advisors and panelist on CNBC’s Fast Money, hosted the China competition.

More details on the National Economics Challenge can be found on CEE’s Twitter page and by searching the hashtag #EconChallenge or visiting www.NationalEconomicsChallenge.org.

Note to editors: A list of all U.S. teams that participated in the Challenge finals is available below.

About the Council for Economic Education and the National Economics Challenge:

The Council for Economic Education’s mission is to teach K-12 students about economics and personal finance so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families and their communities. We carry out our mission by providing resources and training to K-12 educators and have done so for 70 years. Nearly 2/3 of the teachers we reach in person are in low- and moderate-income schools.

Media contacts:

Kate Alexander kate@successioncommunications.com, (201) 638-3946

Lisa Fels Davitt lisa@successioncommunications.com, (973) 886-1917

State champion teams in the 21st Annual National Economics Challenge finals May 22-24, 2021.

ADAM SMITH DIVISION:

· BASIS Scottsdale (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

· Chattahoochee High School (Johns Creek, Ga.)

· Conestoga High School (Berwyn, Pa.)

· Dublin High School (Dublin, Calif.)

· ‘Iolani School (Honolulu, Hawaii)

· Mount Hebron High School (Ellicott City, Md.)

DAVID RICARDO DIVISION:

· Half Hollow Hills High School East (Dix Hills, N.Y.)

· Irvington High School (Fremont, Calif.)

· Lexington High School (Lexington, Mass.)

· Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (Richmond, Va.)

· Mount Hebron High School (Ellicott City, Md.)

· Plano West Senior High School (Plano, Texas)

The post Maryland Team Clinches the National Economics Challenge appeared first on Council for Economic Education.

POSTED: May 25, 2021 | BY: brendan

The results are in! Here are the following RI schools to be recognized for their outstanding performance:

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POSTED: May 1, 2021 | BY: Margaret Brooks

The results are in! Here are the following RI schools that were recognized for their outstanding performance:

_______________________________________

High School Division

1^st Place: LaSalle Academy, LSA Team 1, Teacher Christina Milano

2^nd Place: North Kingstown High, NK Team PaxBlanchManJang, Teacher Richard Garland

3^rd Place: Tolman High, Tolman Tigers 5, Teacher Robert D’Arezzo

4^th Place: East Greenwich High School, Lady Avengers, Teacher Patricia Page

Middle School Division

1^st Place: Davisville Middle School, Team RHYS, Teacher Eileen Murray

2^nd Place: Archie R. Cole Middle School, RT3/FL, Teacher Ellise Wolff

Invest in Girls Division:

1^st Place: East Greenwich High School, Team IIG Valkyrie, Teacher Patricia Page

Note: This EGHS team also advanced to the National Semi-Finals.

 RI Access Zone Division:

1^st Place: Woonsocket High School, Team 11, Teacher Robert Gruetzke

Note: This Woonsocket High team also advanced to the National Semi-Finals.

Thanks to all the teachers who facilitated their students’ participation in this annual statewide competition, especially during these challenging times. Thanks to Margaret Brooks, Bruce Stachura, and Kerri McLaughlin who served as judges for this important RI Finance Challenge program that advances and recognizes RI students’ financial literacy accomplishments. Special thanks to Fidelity Investments for generously sponsoring the RI Finance Challenge every year so that it can be offered free of charge to all RI high schools and middle schools.

POSTED: May 1, 2021 | BY: Margaret Brooks

The 7th annual Global Economic Symposium (GES) was held virtually on Friday March 12, 2021. Prior to the event, more than 70 high school and middle school students from MA, NJ, NY, RI and TX worked in teams to conduct research on a global economic problem that each team identified. College student mentors from Bentley University and Bridgewater State University were available to assist and advise the students as they conducted their research.

This program was created to tap into the creativity and open-mindedness of youth to identify a global issue and use economic reasoning to propose a program, policy or protocol to mitigate the impact of this issue on nations. The Global Economic Symposium positions students to do research, work as a team, and present and defend their recommendation(s) before a panel of professional judges.

In the weeks leading up to the Global Economic Symposium, student teams produced short videos to highlight their analysis of the problem and their proposed solutions. On the day of the event, their 5-minute pre-recorded videos were shown to panels of judges consisting of distinguished experts in academia, industry, banking and education. The students on each team then had opportunities to respond in real time to the judges’ questions.

At the conclusion of the event, the following schools and teams were selected by the judges for award recognition, based on the quality of their research presentations and their responses to judges’ questions:

International Division (High School)
1st Place Global Water Crisis                Brockton High School, MA
2nd Place Cyber Security                      East Greenwich High School, RI
3rd Place 4th Industrial Revolution       Brockton High School, MA
4th Place Infrastructure                        Weequahic High School, NJ

Global Division (Middle School)
1st Place Childhood Malnutrition    Archie R. Cole Middle School, RI
2nd Place Child  Labor                    Archie R. Cole Middle School, RI

By participating in the 7th Annual Global Economic Symposium, all students had valuable opportunities to build important research and communication skills, while gaining experience in working collaboratively with others. Their enthusiasm and commitment to making the world a better place was truly inspiring.

According to Global Economic Symposium Program Coordinator George “Scott” Guild, “What better way is there to ensure our future economic vitality and civic responsibility than to engage the minds and voices of students across the country and across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to share their perception and solutions for imminent global issues?”

Here is the list of all participating schools:
Archie R. Cole Middle School, East Greenwich, RI
Ashfield Middle School, Brockton MA
Brockton High School, Brockton, MA
Coney Island Prep High School, Brooklyn, NY
East Greenwich High School, East Greenwich, RI
East Side High School, Paterson, NJ
Malcolm X Shabazz High School, Newark, NJ
Weequahic High School, Newark, NJ
Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center, Dallas TX

Students were engaged throughout the day by the speakers’ highly motivating words of support and encouragement. Keynote speaker Demetriouse L. Russell, CEO of Venn Diagram LLC, inspired participants by emphasizing the important role of diversity and inclusion, and by explaining the key differences between equality and equity. Afternoon presenters Dennis Creary, President and CEO of Blacks on Wall Street, and Kevin Ruth, Founder of Finance 411.com also provided personal and professional insights into how students can access pathways to success.

In support of nurturing financial capability for students and in the industry, the winners in the International Division (high school) will receive monetary awards to be spent for investment purposes through newly-created youth investment products. The winners of the Global Division (middle school) will receive swag bags. In addition, all Global Economic Symposium student team members will have the chance to participate in an upcoming online workshop on how to market themselves for future success, and how to recognize and avoid pitfalls that can sidetrack reaching their goals.

The generous support of the following sponsors made the Global Economic Symposium available free of charge to all participating students and schools:

Platinum Sponsors: Loomis Sayles, Kevin Ruth CEO Finance101, Kiser Family Foundation. BankFive, Empower Yourself LTD, MA Rep. Claire Cronin, Tech Wave Group

Additional Sponsors:  ACT-CPA, Blacks on Wall Street, Bridgewater State University, Citizens Bank, Demetriouse Russell Venn Diagram Partners, Eastern Bank, Fidelity Investments, Fit Money, Harvard Business School, MA Council for Economic Education, New England Institute of Technology, RI Council for Economic Education, RI JumpStart Coalition, Trimble, Inc.

Tech Wave, with contributions from MaxAmplify, provided valuable technology support as this year’s Global Economic Symposium transitioned to a virtual format.

For a complete list of all award-winners, schools, teachers, judges, volunteers, and sponsors, see https://rijumpstart.org/news/winners-of-the-2021-global-economic-symposium/

For a student’s perspective on the Global Economic Symposium, read Jessica Caterson’s March 21, 2021 article in East Greenwich News “How Are You Going to Change the World?” https://eastgreenwichnews.com/how-are-you-going-to-change-the-world/

The Global Economic Symposium creators and co-organizers are Mr. Cedric Turner, Mr. George “Scott” Scott Guild, Dr. Margaret Brooks, Dr. Patricia Page, and Ms. Deb Bloomberg.

POSTED: April 3, 2021 | BY: Margaret Brooks

By Tarnisha Smart

Many thanks for those who attended and supported our 2020 Visionary Awards Benefit online featuring our wonderful emcee Steve Liesman, CNBC Senior Economics Reporter; and honoring Dr. Ben S. Bernanke, Former Chair of the Federal Reserve System; Kathleen A. Murphy, President, Personal Investing Fidelity Investments; and James R. Schenck, President & CEO, PenFed Credit Union.

We also celebrated high school teachers Joel Kirkhart, Queens High School for Language Studies; Rachel Kessous, Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice; and Alhassan Susso, International Community High School who received Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Teaching Awards.

Kathleen A. Murphy, an amazing woman in finance created a special video on why it is important for young people to understand money and economics. Watch Kathleen’s video below:

The online benefit raised $400,000. The money raised will help students gain the knowledge and skills to make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities, providing them with a path to economic stability and upward mobility.

Thank you to all our sponsors for their support and for everyone who attended. We are grateful.

The post Recap: 2020 Visionary Awards Virtual Benefit appeared first on Council for Economic Education.

POSTED: October 28, 2020 | BY: brendan

By Tarnisha Smart

Though we can’t meet in person this year, we’re pleased to host our annual fundraiser online and celebrate exceptional leaders this week on October 21 at 5:45 pm EST.

Join colleagues and friends to applaud the 2020 Visionary Award recipients and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Teaching Champions, and enjoy networking opportunities with industry peers.

Raise a glass to inspiring allies in the drive for economic and financial education, all in support of CEE’s mission to foster knowledge in students so they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Also, we’d like to thank all our sponsors for their generous support. Plus, a special shout out to Fidelity and Pen Fed for being a Champion Sponsor. Check out Pen Fed’s video below:

We hope you will join us.

Register here: https://www.councilforeconed.org/registration-form-visionary-awards-virtual-benefit-dinner/.

The post Visionary Awards Benefit Goes Virtual + Thank You Sponsors appeared first on Council for Economic Education.

POSTED: October 19, 2020 | BY: brendan

We’re excited to announce that Fidelity Investments will be offering a free online personal finance professional development training for New England K-16 educators on Tuesday August 18 and Thursday August 20 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm both days. This training is offered in partnership with RI Council for Economic Education. and RI JumpStart Coalition. Register now to reserve your place! $50 Amazon gift card to first 150 participants who register and complete both days of the program! https://bit.ly/3i69czt

POSTED: August 3, 2020 | BY: Margaret Brooks

By Alan

On June 17, 2020, the Council for Economic Education presented a live stream discussion featuring Loretta J. Mester, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. President Mester presented her economic outlook and the Federal Reserve’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the full stream below:

The post WATCH: Economists on the Economy live stream with Loretta J. Mester of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland appeared first on Council for Economic Education.

POSTED: June 18, 2020 | BY: brendan