Calling all teachers and students! The Maryland Council on Economic Education invites you to enter its inaugural Financial Education Poetry Competition - a fun contest that combines financial understanding with creativity!

Students and teachers at all grade levels can submit a video in which you read or perform your original poem you create related to financial education.  Poems may be in the form of traditional poetry, rap, or slam poetry.  See below for eligibility info, entry requirements and how to enter!

The deadline to submit entries is April 15, 2024. Winners will be selected for elementary, middle, and high school categories, as well as a special category for educators!  Winners will be invited to perform their poem at our Annual Awards Luncheon on May 15th.

The Financial Education Poetry Competition celebrates National Financial Education month and National Poetry Month, both in April.

Need some inspiration?

April is a month of financial literacy and poetry and we’re here to say,

We have a contest, and we’d like you to play!

Using a financial literacy term, write a poem of your own.

It’s a fun way to make your understanding of the term known.

Once written, recite it in spoken word with verse, slam a rap, or song.

Just remember the maximum is two minutes long.

The Financial Education Poetry Competition levels:

• Elementary school: students in grades K-5

• Middle school: students in grades 6-8

• High school: students in grades 9-12

• Educators: of grades K-12

Entries will be evaluated based on:

• Quality, including accuracy, creativity, persuasiveness, clarity, and overall visual and audio appeal.

• Ability to express your poem in spoken word.

• Inclusion of a financial literacy term.

Entry requirements:

• Poems of all kinds are welcome - from prose to rhymes to raps and slam. 

• A financial literacy term must be used in the poem, such as spending, saving, budgeting, compound interest, stocks, stock market, building wealth, etc. 

• Entries (limited to one per person) must be sent as a video of the poem’s author reading (or performing) their poem. Video requirements: 

• • No longer than 2 minutes

  • Horizontal orientation only 

  • Ideal video quality: 1920 x 1080p.

  • Videos including music must use original music

  • Videos must contain no copyrighted materials (logos, brands, etc)

• All entries must be original and not used before this competition. 

• No obligation or liability is assumed by MCEE in connection with the contest.

• Groups can be in the video, but the entry must be from one author only.  

How to Enter: 

• Entries should be emailed to mcee@towson.edu by 5 p.m. on April 15, 2024.

• Videos can be sent as attachments or links to personal YouTube pages

• Entry emails should include the completed entry form,found here.  

Good luck and happy writing!