2008 Virginia Economics Challenge
Virginia Council on Economic Education

• Middle school students can now compete!
• Two opportunities for high school students to compete!
  
• Win the EconChallenge ONLINE for Prizes and an Opportunity to Advance to the State, Regional, & National Championships
  
• Winners of the EconChallenge ONLINE Do Not Need to Participate in the Statewide Championship
  
• No Registration Cost
• Teachers May Enter Middle School and High School Student Teams if the Course Includes Some Economics

Preliminary Online Challenge
Virginia students may participate in a free preliminary EconChallenge ONLINE. Teachers and students throughout the state will be able to participate regardless of travel or budgetary constraints. In the EconChallenge ONLINE, teams of up to four students may compete. Each team member will have 35 minutes to complete a 30-question online exam that covers topics in macro, micro and international economics. Click here to register.

The winning team in each division in eight regions in the state will be acknowledged and invited to participate in the State Championship in Richmond. Regions are based on the regional study groups set by the Virginia Department of Education.

Participation in the EconChallenge ONLINE does not require participants or winners to travel in order to compete.

Divisions
Competitions are conducted at three levels. Participating students do not need to be enrolled in a formal economics course, but students should be enrolled in a course that includes some level of economics. Schools may also enter multiple teams in their qualifying divisions.

The Middle School Division is open to middle school students enrolled in Civics and Economics or another course containing some economics. This division is new for 2008!

The Adam Smith Division is for high school students enrolled in any IB, AP, honors, college-level or two-semester general economics course. This division is also open to students that have previously participated in the Challenge.

The David Ricardo Division is for high school students enrolled in a one-semester general economics course, or economics-related course that is not labeled as AP, IB, honors or college level. .

State Championship
For the Middle School Division, eight teams will be invited from around the Commonwealth to the State Championship. For the Adam Smith and David Ricardo Divisions, fourteen teams from each division will be invited. The teams will consist of a winning team from each region and six additional teams, based on highest scores from the David Ricardo and Adam Smith divisions.

The State Championship event is held at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA on April 11, 2008 from 9:30a.m. to 2:30p.m.

The winning team in each high school division at the State Championship will advance to the NCEE Regional Competition held online April 29, 2008. From there, winners are invited to the National Competition in New York City from May 19 – 21, 2008. Most travel expenses for the national competition will be paid by NCEE. Travel expenses to the State Championship in Richmond are the responsibility of the individual school.

Register Online
Online registration for the Challenge begins on January 1, 2008 at www.econchallenge.org. Once registered, teachers will be able to create their student teams of 3-4 students per team.

Important 2008 Dates
January 1 – Teacher registration begins (Click here to register)
February 11 - March 13 (until 3:00pm) – Free Online Challenge (open to all)
March 14 - Winners of the EconChallenge ONLINE announced; teams are invited to State Championship
April 11 (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) – State Championship, VCU/Richmond
April 29 – NCEE Regional ONLINE Competition
May 17-19 – National Competition, New York City, New York

Sample Tests and Rules
High school students can take sample online tests and review Challenge questions from previous years by clicking here.

Contact
Ruth Cookson for information regarding the online registration and EconChallenge ONLINE at rcookson@odu.edu or 757-683-5570.

Cheryl Ayers for contest rules and the State Championship at ayers.c@lynchburg.edu. or 434-544-8791.

Many thanks to our 2008 sponsors:


Goldman Sachs Foundation
National Council on Economic Education