More than 100 elementary, middle and high school students from 17 Maryland counties have won the statewide financial literacy and economics competitions coordinated by the Maryland Council on Economic Education (MCEE). The winners were honored on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at a luncheon and awards ceremony attended by more than 350 students, family members, sponsors and leaders at Towson University. Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller honored the students with a keynote presentation. 

More than 20,000 students from 20 Maryland counties and Baltimore City participated in MCEE-organized competitions this school year - the highest student participation in MCEE’s annual programs in more than 12 years. 

Award winners are listed by county beginning on the next page

Awards were presented to winners in these competitions:

• Stock Market Game™ (SMG): an educational simulation that teaches about the stock                      markets, the American economic system and the global economy. Teams of students create and manage an imaginary $100,000 portfolio - striving to achieve the highest return on investment - while developing skills in math, language arts, research and critical thinking. 
• InvestWrite Essay Competition: a national writing competition that reinforces the economic concepts students learned by participating in the Stock Market Game™.   
• Maryland Personal Finance Challenge: an academic competition that provides high school teams from across the state with the opportunity to learn and demonstrate knowledge and application of personal finance concepts during a one-day academic competition. The Challenge is sponsored by M&T, WesBanco, State Farm, Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union, First Financial Federal Credit Union, and Towson University
• The Maryland Economics Challenge: the only program of its kind that tests micro and                     macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy in one-day competitions. 
• Personal Finance Poster Competition: a creative competition where students demonstrate their understanding of economic concepts. 

These competitions are coordinated by the Maryland Council on Economic Education, the nonprofit that helps make sure Maryland's children graduate high school with the economic and financial literacy knowledge and decision-making skills they need to make informed decisions as adults. In addition to student programs, MCEE offers free professional development and financial literacy education training and lesson plans for educators. Based on the campus of Towson University, MCEE supports more than 2,000 teachers each year who reach over 11,000 Maryland students.

Said Julie Weaver, MCEE Executive Director, “The winning students from these statewide competitions should be proud of this wonderful accomplishment. They have creatively illustrated their understanding of personal finance and economics concepts and are a testament to how important this kind of learning is for all children.”

Click here for the list of county winners.

Kurt is a Stephen Decatur High School teacher who was honored among 5 others as a Financial Education and Capability Awards 2023 winner.

It was his dedication to educating his young students about the importance of financial education and management that truly set him apart.

Kurt Marx stopped by Good Morning Delmarva to share more on what it was like to be recognized for his efforts as an educator and give some financial advice.

For more information on Kurt Marx watch the full interview!

https://www.wmdt.com/2023/06/emerging-leader-kurt-marx-on-good-morning-delmarva/

May 11, 2023

Good news in the news! MCEE’s work and leadership has recently been featured in BOTH the Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Banner! 

The Baltimore Banner published a Commentary by MCEE Executive Director Julie Weaver with a perspective we all share: Maryland’s students need high-quality personal finance and economics education in order to successfully manage their financial lives, reach their goals, and thrive.

As Julie says in the Commentary, “Our schools teach algebra and chemistry, poetry and world history. Isn’t teaching our children about personal finance -- developing skills they’ll use every day of their lives -- just as important?” 

Find the full Community Voices Commentary here

Also, the Baltimore Sun highlighted two teachers who recently won the Maryland Financial Education and Capability Awards for their work delivering personal finance education. Congratulations to Karen Yancey and Michelle Coates for being featured, and to all winners of the Financial Education and Capability Awards!

Read the Sun story here.

We hope you’ll share these articles with anyone you know who may be interested in the future of Maryland’s children. To learn more about how MCEE helps teachers deliver impactful personal finance and economics education in classes of all subjects, visit https://www.econed.org/.

(Speaking of MCEE helping teachers! Registration is open for MCEE’s 2023 Financial & Economic   Education Summit, featuring 20+ FREE sessions with new ideas for increasing engagement in classrooms by delivering personal finance-focused content that your students not only need, but are enthusiastic about learning and applying to their lives. The Summit will be June 28 at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve. Information and registration: https://www.econed.org/Summit)

Our work on behalf of students happens because of the generous support of our partners.. These partnerships yield the greatest impact when our supporters share our passion for personal finance and for learning. The APG Federal Credit Union does that - and more.

APGFCU is committed to the financial well-being of its members and communities, and, like us, that means more than services. It means knowledge and learning with financial counseling, seminars and digital tools to help members achieve their goals. APGFCU offers a robust financial wellness platform with articles, financial calculators, artificial intelligence coaches and financial education courses for all age groups, including a fun, interactive learning experience for children as young as four.

The credit union’s focus on knowledge sharing is illustrated in its support of MCEE. As Liz Monti, APGFCU’s Financial Education Director, puts it, “APGFCU is proud to partner with MCEE; working together to equip our students with the economic and financial literacy knowledge needed will help better position them to make sound financial decisions, thus improving their economic and social condition and building a strong community.”

One aspect of APGFCU’s wide-ranging partnership with MCEE is support of the The Stock Market Game™. “We know the long-term impact financial education can have, not only on the student but also on the family,” explained Monti. “This program provides teachers with an interactive and engaging resource to deliver financial education in the classroom at no cost to them. One of our proudest moments was receiving an email from a parent whose child and whole family had been impacted by their son’s participation in The Stock Market Game.”

Part of that email reads: “My son, who is currently in 7th grade at HCPS, was introduced to the stock market via the Stock Market Game™ when he was in 5th grade. By participating in this exciting, months-long activity…he and his classmates learned the importance of doing research, taking calculated risks and reaping the rewards of a well-placed investment. Soon thereafter, he asked if he could use his own money to invest in real stocks. Since then, he has added to his investment and hopes to make his money grow to help pay for college. His success has also inspired us to look into the stock market for our own investments. I am happy to report that after careful research and prayerfully choosing a handful of stocks, we have grown our investment by over 70% in just a little over a year. Thank you APCFCU!”

Thank you APGFCU, indeed! Learn more about APGFCU’s work and resources, here. 

The financial support of the Maryland Council on Economic Education’s partners makes our work possible as we reach thousands of students and educators a year with engaging learning experiences that reinforce and introduce personal finance and economics concepts. As a longtime partner, Wells Fargo is leading the way.

Wells Fargo’s generous support stems from its commitment to serving communities. Like MCEE, Wells Fargo prioritizes high-quality initiatives that open pathways to economic advancement. And like MCEE, Wells Fargo ensures its work helps under served communities, advances racial equity, and introduces crucial personal finance concepts that will help all students and educators, no matter their background.

“Being a local partner of MCEE is impactful as we support building a stronger focus around financial health for our communities,” said Traci Horne, Wells Fargo Vice President and Sr. Social Impact & Sustainability Specialist. “Together, we can provide resources for our teachers, creating a stronger foundation of financial knowledge and empowerment for our youth where it matters the most, in the classroom.”

OAKLAND — Southern Garrett High School students enrolled in Athena Wilson’s classes recently participated in the Stock Market Game and proved once again that Southern Garrett High School students are undeniably a state leader in investing. Click here for the complete article.

A team of 5th graders from Joppatowne Elementary placed first in the fall Stock Market Game. Click here for the article.

Students learn the basics of investing through simulated, real-world investment experiences.  Click here for the article.

A team of students from a Howard County elementary school emerged victorious in the Maryland central region's Fall Stock Market Game.  Click here to read the article.