Vikings and Firebirds and Bears! Oh My!!

In December 2004, Lakota Plains Junior High and Princeton High School teams had the highest portfolio values for middle school and high school, respectively. The prize for the two winning teams was a trip to New York City in January, sponsored by three Wall Street Investment firms. The students also visited the New York Stock Exchange.

"The four students from Princeton and the two students from Lakota Plains were all exceptional young men," said Rob Rude, UC's SMG coordinator. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many of these young men. The chance to visit the NYSE alone would make for an unforgettable trip, but to also be able to meet with some of the biggest asset fund managing firms in the world and to talk with several of the best asset fund managers worldwide made the trip extremely memorable."

The student winners visited and presented PowerPoint reports on their winning strategies to the three sponsoring firms (Lazard, Smith Barney and Goldman Sachs).

"The sponsors could not have been any more gracious and receptive to us during our visit," Rude said. "Not only did they each help send these young men to New York City, they also hosted them for lunch or dinner and listened intently as the students presented how they played the game and what they learned by participating in the SMG program. One firm even took them on a tour of NBC Studios and hosted them for ice skating at Rockefeller Center."

Princeton High School

James Crumpler, Teacher

Drew Mason, student

Jacob Baker, student

Brian Bacik, student

Kyle Johnson, student

Lakota Plains Junior High School

Becky Falato, Teacher

Bryan Osinski, student

Adam Bittinger, student

UC Economics Center for Education & Research
 
Rob Rude, SMG Coordinator

Rude cited the valuable knowledge that the students gained from their SMG experience.

"They learned about how to pick stocks and mutual funds using financial analysis and fundamental research methods, the importance of diversification in a portfolio, and that even the best fund managers in the world make mistakes that can be worth billions of dollars," said Rude.

For more than 25 years, the UC Economics Center for Education & Research has trained teachers, developed classroom materials, and helped to revolutionize economics learning for students from kindergarten through high school. In addition, the Center provides in-school student programs for both primary and secondary grades, including the Student Enterprise Program, the Stock Market Game and Personal Finance. They are currently focused on delivering economics education to low income students.

Each of the program staff members has advanced training in economics and education. With their combined experience, they offer unmatched expertise in working successfully with schools and the educational process to introduce and integrate economics into the learning program. The center also supports business and community organizations through client-based research studies.

Since its beginnings in 1977, the non-profit Stock Market Game (SMG) Program has engaged more than eight million students nationwide. The program reinforces a multitude of cross-curricular skills, including math, history, civics, team-building and language skills.

Jump on the bandwagon for the next Ohio Stock Market Game! The next session starts Feb. 14.