Several Lynchburg City Schools students were recognized at the Economic Education Awards Program at Lynchburg College. The program honored significant student achievements in economic education throughout the region. Students competed in several categories, and LCS had regional winners in three areas including Color the Economic Concept for grades K-6, The Stock Market Game for grades 4-12, and Governor’s Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance for grades 9-12.
Color the Economic Concept
In this contest, Dearington Elementary School for Innovation second-graders Stephon Smith and Patrick Wingfield earned second-place and regional honoree awards, respectively. In this contest, students have the opportunity to learn and illustrate their knowledge of economic concepts in a creative and fun way. They depict a grade-appropriate economic concept by drawing its meaning. Regional winners are selected and then compete at the state level. Eight state winners are selected and their artwork is displayed at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
The Stock Market Game
Nicole Rice and Kierra Paige of Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation placed first in the region in this contest, and the Linkhorne Middle School team of Kate Pittard, Marshall Driskill, Genesis Solozano, Olivia Iott, and Ashton Tomlinson came in second. The Stock Market Game gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an on-line portfolio, using a live trading simulation. Team members research and evaluate stocks, and make decisions based on what they've learned. They trade common stocks and mutual funds from the NYSE, Nasdaq and AMEX exchanges; earn interest on cash balances; pay interest if buying on margin; and pay a commission on all trades. They develop an understanding of how the economy works, and do math to calculate their returns.
Governors Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance
Two E. C. Glass teams were awarded out of three separate divisions in this contest. The team of Brian Carey, Brian Davies, and Olivia Varah placed first in the region in the Adam Smith Division. This contest is for students enrolled in an IB, AP, honors, college-level or two-semester economics course.
Also, from Glass, Sydney Moon, Jeffrey Truitte, Paul Mortemousque, and Sam Fedeler were named an at-large team within the state in the Personal Finance Division, a contest for students enrolled in a course that includes some personal finance content.
These teams of high school students participated in a regional online 30-question test. The high-scoring teams are invited to a state-level live competition showcasing their knowledge of economics and personal finance. State winners are then eligible to compete at the national level.