What is the Stock Market Game™?
It is a comprehensive economics and personal finance education program for Grades 4 to 12. Small student teams compete for awards by investing $100,000 in an online, virtual portfolio. The adult advisor registers the student teams. Student teams are provided online access to their own online investment portfolio. Students research and apply their investment ideas in a real-world market environment.
Is there research that the Stock Market Game™ positively impacts academic performance?
Yes, a rigorous, randomized, controlled study by Learning Point Associates, a nonprofit education agency, found that students who participated in The Stock Market Game™ program scored significantly higher on mathematics and financial literacy tests than their peers who did not. Improvements in academic performance were achieved regardless of the classroom implementation of the Stock Market Game™ basic or advance. The study was conducted in 600 classrooms, with half of the classrooms playing in the Stock Market Game™ and half not playing.
Learning Point Associates also conducted a nationwide survey of nearly 5,000 teachers who taught with the Stock Market Game. The teachers reported that the program motivated them to better plan for their own future and to engage in financial planning, research, and use of investment products and services.
>> Link to PDF Summary
>>Link to PDF of the Full Study
What is the Registration Fee Per Student Team?
• $10 per team, per game session if the advisor registers more than one team during that game session
• $25 per team, per game session, if the advisor registers only one team for that game session
How Are Teams Determined?
Advisors may register a minimum of two students or up to a total of four students per team. Students may only participate on one team per Game Session (Fall, Spring and Year-Long).
When does the Game Start?
The Stock Market Game™is conducted during the school year. There are three different game sessions during the school year: Fall, Spring and Year-Long. >> Click here for key dates.
How Can Educators Learn More about the Stock Market Game™?
>> Click Here for the national website for The Stock Market Game, a program of the SIFMA Foundation.
>> Click Here for additional educator resources.
What are the Virginia Stock Market Game™ Awards?
Awards are presented to teams with the top performing portfolios in their region and/or state. At the state level, awards are presented to:
• The top three schools for the Fall, Spring, and Yearlong Sessions
• The top high school, middle school and elementary school (if not already recognized in the top three overall teams)
Teams are placed in regions based on the location of VCEE’s affiliated Centers for Economic Education. Regional awards are determined and presented by the Centers.
What is the Capitol Hill Challenge?
The Capitol Hill Challenge is a separate educational opportunity that matches Members of Congress with students, teachers, and schools competing in The Stock Market Game™ in their respective district or state. The top 10 Capitol Hill Challenge teams win a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet their Member of Congress and be recognized at an awards reception on Capitol Hill. During their visit, students and teachers will meet with business, government, and education leaders to learn about fiscal policy-making, the role of the capital markets, and global economic trends. The winners will also have the opportunity to tour financial landmarks and national monuments.>>Click Here for details.
What is InvestWrite National Writing Competition?
It is an innovative national writing competition, is a program of the SIFMA Foundation offered exclusively to teachers and students participating in The Stock Market Game™. There are usually two competition sessions: 1.) the Spring InvestWrite competition where registration opens in February with essays due in mid-April and 2.) the Fall InvestWrite competition where registration opens in the Summer and essays are due in December.
InvestWrite® is a culminating activity for Stock Market Game students extending students’ classroom learning with a written challenge to address real-world financial issues and situations. Students must analyze, think critically and problem solve about a long-term saving and investing scenario. Some 20,000 student essays are evaluated by teachers and thousands of financial professionals serving as volunteer judges. Winners locally and nationally rise to the top to earn exciting prizes and recognition including a trip to New York City’s famed financial district.
For more details on Fall and Summer InvestWrite registration and essay deadlines and requirements: >> Click Here to view the InvestWrite website.
What is Invest it Forward?
Invest It Forward connects educators and classrooms with financial industry professionals and firms. Teachers can request face-to-face meetings with financial professionals for their classrooms. It is an industry-wide financial education and capital markets literacy initiative convening hundreds of financial firms that are committed to giving young Americans a solid understanding of the capital markets system and the invaluable tools to achieve their dreams. The program features a new capital markets curriculum and a variety of volunteer opportunities across the country and throughout the year. >> Click here to learn more.
Are There Additional Awards or Scholarships?
Yes, students who participate in the Stock Market Game™ are eligible to apply for college scholarships sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Securities Traders Association. This year the Foundation intends to award two $2,000 scholarships for high school seniors who have participated in Stock Market Game (one from Maryland and one from Virginia) for their first year of college, and two $5,000 scholarships to candidates selected from our member jurisdiction of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The scholarship winners are announced around August, with monies forwarded to the respective schools on behalf of the recipients prior to the Fall semester. >> Click here for more details.
Is there a Stock Market Game App?
Yes, students have access to the Stock Market Game app to manage their portfolios.
