Market Madness Strikes Again May 12

Flower pot shops, jewelry stores and science toys are just some of the business enterprises by grade-school entrepreneurs at the annual

Market Madness

event, thanks to the

Economics Center for Education and Research at the University of Cincinnati

.

More than 1,200 area elementary students in grades 3–6 from 15 schools representing diverse Cincinnati communities will put their entrepreneurial spirit into practice at the annual Market Madness event from 10 a.m. – noon, on Wednesday, May 12, at the UC Campus Recreation Center. The students buy and sell their products, followed by a tour of the university.

Through the Student Enterprise Program (StEP), the students learn personal financial skills as they design and operate their own school “economy.” The Market Madness event then allows individual school “economies” to come together for a market experience, including the trade of products and services produced in student-run school businesses.

The Economics Center’s StEP is currently serving 34 local schools, 16 of which are part of the Cincinnati Public School District. Students gain practical financial skills as classrooms are converted to small businesses and students hold jobs, save and spend using school currency.

To get ready for this event, students chose a product to produce, interviewed for positions within their classroom business and determined the resources necessary to produce their product. Flower pot shops, jewelry stores and science toys are just some of the business enterprises that will be showcased at the Market Madness event.

Since implementation in all 34 schools, Economics Center’s StEP has improved attitudes, raised academic achievement of students in core academic curriculum, and improved attendance rates.

More information on Market Madness