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News Release CENTER NEWS RELEASE / January 29, 2009 Editor’s Note: This news release is being issued jointly by Boise State and Bishop Kelly High School Bishop Kelly High School Student Wins National Essay Contest on Investing and Economics A Bishop Kelly High School student has won first place in a national investment essay contest. The student will learn about this achievement at an award assembly at 2:20 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Bishop Kelly Carley Center, where a Wall Street executive will announce the winner. About 7,000 Idaho students competed with 740,000 students nationwide in an investment simulation called the Stock Market Game. Many also wrote an essay in the Stock Market Game’s national writing competition called InvestWrite. The Idaho Council on Economic Education at Boise State University provides these and other programs as part of its mission to increase economic and financial literacy statewide. Teachers are encouraged to offer students the opportunity to participate in both of these programs in classrooms ranging from fourth grade through high school. The Idaho Department of Finance and Wells Fargo Bank were co-sponsors of last semester’s competitions. Idaho State Finance Director Gavin Gee said, “It has never been more important that our students in Idaho learn about economics and investing. With the challenges our country and world are facing, we must return to basics and teach our children and grandchildren to work, spend wisely, save for the future and manage their resources.” The mystery student at Bishop Kelly, who will soon be named this year’s national champion, will receive a laptop computer and trip to New York City where he or she will visit the New York Stock Exchange and other sites. Marta Watson, the Bishop Kelly economics teacher who has introduced and coached hundreds of students in these contests for many years, will also win a new laptop and trip to New York City, where she will participate in a financial literacy conference this summer. In addition, the entire student body of Bishop Kelly High School will receive a pizza party from the Idaho Council on Economic Education and the SIFMA Foundation for Investor Education, which sponsors the Stock Market Game and InvestWrite nationally. According to Watson, the InvestWrite program provides an opportunity for students to expand upon their experience with the Stock Market Game by responding to a real-life challenge that requires additional research and understanding of financial markets. Last fall, students were asked to write an essay advising their parents how to invest a sudden windfall of $100,000 from a long lost aunt. The winning essay was well written and combined a sense of humor with sound financial advice. Along with dozens of other Idaho schools, Bishop Kelly has participated in these educational contests for several years and achieved a sixth-place finish last spring. “Winning this extremely competitive event is a remarkable testament to Idaho, our school and to this student,” Watson said. “It certainly demonstrates the value of hard work, sound financial education and persistence.” The “Stock Market Game” and the “InvestWrite” contest provide an educationally sound, engaging and fun way to learn about the importance of saving, investing, making good economic choices and managing money. The programs originate with the Foundation for Investor Education in New York and are supported financially by national and local sponsors. In Idaho key sponsors have included the State Department of Finance, Wells Fargo Bank, Boise State and its sister universities, and many other business and educational institutions in Idaho. The Stock Market Game was introduced in 1977 and is played every semester around the world by 11 million students from grades 4 through 12. Student teams compete with others across the state, nation and world to see what they can do with $100,000 in virtual cash. Wall Street-based computers allow students to trade online, chart their gains and track their portfolios. The follow-up competition, InvestWrite, allows the students to reflect and write an essay responding to a financial prompt that changes each semester. “We appreciate the teachers, principals and superintendents of Idaho schools and all they are doing to prepare our students for the future,” said Leon Maynard, president of the Idaho Council on Economic Education. “Idaho and our citizens are competing in a global marketplace and it is absolutely essential that we prepare our young people for that reality by teaching them about our economic system and how they can prosper in it.” How to Register Students for the Stock Market Game Teachers from public, private, home and virtual schools can register their students for the “Stock Market Game” by calling or e-mailing the Idaho Council on Economic Education at (208) 426-2926 or SMG@boisestate.edu. The Idaho Council on Economic Education The Idaho Council on Economic Education, manager of the Stock Market Game, the International Economic Summit and other educational programs in finance and economics, was formed in 1972 by a group of business leaders, bankers and university professors who wanted to increase economic and financial literacy among Idaho’s youth. The Idaho Council is hosted by the College of Business and Economics and the College of Education at Boise State University. It maintains centers at Idaho State, the University of Idaho and the College of Southern Idaho to provide training and materials to teachers and students across the state. For more information, visit www.econidaho.org The SIFMA Foundation for Investor Education The SIFMA Foundation for Investor Education, an affiliate of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, is a charitable, educational not-for-profit (501-c-3) organization dedicated to advocating investor education. SIFMA brings together the shared interests of more than 650 securities firms, banks and asset managers. SIFMA’s mission is to promote policies and practices that work to expand and perfect markets, foster the development of new products and services and create efficiencies for member firms, while preserving and enhancing the public’s trust and confidence in the markets and the industry. SIFMA works to represent its members’ interests locally and globally. It has offices in New York, Washington D.C., and London and its associated firm, the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, is based in Hong Kong. For more information about the Stock Market Game visit www.stockmarketgame.org. Boise State University, College of Business and Economics The College of Business and Economics at Boise State University, together with the College of Education, hosts the Idaho Council on Economic Education. With more than 100 faculty and staff and 3,000 students, the college has undergraduate degree programs in accountancy, economics, finance, information technology management, international business, management, marketing and supply change management. The college also offers a master of science degree in accountancy, an MBA degree, Executive MBA, MBA-ITM (Information Technology Management), and a graduate certificate in supply chain management. Pat Shannon serves as dean of the college. For more information, visit http://cobe.boisestate.edu Boise State University, College of Education Boise State’s College of Education is co-host of the Idaho Council on Economic Education. The college is a dynamic, forward-moving organization featuring seven departments, five research centers, and more than 30 innovative programs. Under the leadership of Diane Boothe, dean, all programs are designed to challenge students academically and to tailor acquired comprehensive knowledge and skills to meet their individual needs. Graduate and undergraduate programs combine face-to-face and internet interaction. This incorporation of state-of-the-art technology captures educational experiences leading to success for students and other stakeholders. Visit http://education.boisestate.edu Bishop Kelly High School Located in Boise, Bishop Kelly is a Catholic community of learners and believers built on a tradition of academic excellence, moral leadership and social responsibility. Though a Catholic high school, 25 percent of BK students have historically been of other faith traditions. Bishop Kelly values different insights as it integrates principles of justice, self-discipline, respect and moral responsibility into daily life. The focus on individual attention sets BK apart from larger schools and allows each student to flourish within a “family atmosphere.” For more information, visit www.bk.org -30- Contact: Sherry Squires, University Communications, (208) 426-1563, ssquires@boisestate.edu Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.
Last reviewed on Thursday, January 29, 2009
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