The Michigan Economics Challenge began back in February when 300 students comprising 71 teams competed in an statewide online qualifier test. The top ten scores from each Division were invited to Walsh College-Novi campus to participate in the State Finals. Twelve high schools from across the state participated in this year’s Challenge.

The Gold Medalist teams from Plymouth-Canton and International Academy-East will represent Michigan in the National Semi-Finals on April 24 with a chance to move on and compete for National Champion in New York in May.

Amerisure Insurance Co. was the sponsor of the 2012 Michigan Economics Challenge with additional financial support from State Farm. State Farm is also the sponsor of the National Sem-Finals and Finals.

Martin Lavelle, research associate at the Detroit Branch, hosted the teachers for what the Branch hopes is the beginning of a series for teachers on the FED, monetary policy, and economic research of the Detroit Branch on the Michigan economy. Jon Sudduth, Vice President, gave the teachers an in-depth inside look of the impressive new building, completed in 2005. The first Federal building built after September 11 the building is an impressive array of security measures.

Lavelle also introduced the teachers to the student programs of the FED including the FED Challenge and Euro Challenge. Dr. David Dieterle of the Michigan Council on Economic Education, evening co-host, shared student programs of MCEE including the Stock Market Game, the new Investing in Michigan High School Student Video Competition, and the Michigan Economics Challenge. Dr. Dieterle challenged the audience on their “FQ” (FED Quotient) with questions from past Economic Challenges.

“The evening was a great success and we look forward to exploring future opportunities to provide these types of programs to teachers”, noted Lavelle.

During the State Finals, in the morning the students will be engaged in pencil and paper tests on micro, macro, and international/current events. The most exciting part of the day’s competition is always the Quiz Bowls pitting the top two teams with the highest scores from the morning sessions.

Michigan Jump$tart Coalition
2011 Professional Development Conference:
Taking Ownership in Personal Finance

Detroit, November 15, 2011 – The Michigan Jump$tart Coalition encourages educators from schools and non profits throughout Michigan to join us for a full-day conference presenting personal finance education curricula, tools, resources, updates and ideas for teachers/educators. Learn what free and low cost resources are available to integrate personal finance education into K-12 classes.

The fall 2011 Professional Development Conference will be held on Tuesday, December 6, from 8:00 a.m. (registration starts at 7:30) to 4:00 p.m. at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago – Detroit Branch. It is located at 1600 E. Warren Avenue in Detroit.

The conferences provide teachers with valuable information and resources for teaching personal finance to all grade levels,” said Lois Gibbons, chairperson of the Michigan Jump$tart Coalition. “At a nominal cost ($40.00) participants will receive free curriculum and resources and .5 CEU for an additional $5.” A limited number of $100 scholarships are available to supplement the cost of registration and a substitute.

The keynote speaker is Maxine Peters, the 2006 MAFCS Teacher of the Year and AAFCS Top Teacher in the Nation. Max has presented for Learning ZoneX-press and is the author of Senior High Strategies Lesson Plan: Preparing for Success in Life Curriculum, a comprehensive program designed to help students face college life and beyond with confidence. Federal Reserve Senior Associate Economist Martin Lavelle will discuss the current economy and State Board of Education President John Austin will be available to answer your questions.

Participants will discover how online tools can help you interact with teachers throughout the State. Breakout sessions will be held for elementary, middle and high school teachers.

The deadline for conference registration is December 1. Additional information and registration are available online at www.mijumpstart.com/.Thanks to our sponsors: State Farm Insurance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago – Detroit Branch.

About the Michigan Jump$tart Coalition for Financial Literacy
Like the National Jump$tart Coalition, we seek to increase the prominence of financial literacy of our youth; develop and disseminate and encourage the use of standards for grades K-12; and promote the teaching of personal finance. The Michigan JumpStart Coalition is composed of more than thirty public, private and non-profit organizations that seek to improve the personal financial literacy of Michigan´s young adults. www.mijumpstart.com/.
The Jump$tart Clearinghouse, which lists more than 700 free or low cost titles of financial literacy materials available for all, can be found at http://www.jumpstart.org/jump$tart-clearinghouse.html

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(Novi, Michigan) – Economics was the talk of the town today as the 10th Annual Michigan Economics Challenge crowned two local high school teams champions. International Academy was deemed the victor of the Adam Smith Division, while International Academy East won the David Ricardo Division. International Academy is located in Bloomfield Hills.

The finalists for the Adam Smith Division were International Academy and Chelsea High School. The Adam Smith Division is for students taking advanced placement economics classes. The two finalists for the Dave Ricardo Division (for all other students) were another team from International Academy and International Academy East. The winner of the Adam Smith Division, International Academy, will compete in Regionals with hopes for moving on to the New York national competition on May 23rd.

“The Economics Challenge is an opportunity for economics students to really shine in an exciting and engaging competition with their peers,” said David Dieterle, President of the Michigan Council on Economics Education. “We really have some of Michigan’s best and brightest students in this competition.

This year’s Economics Challenge is sponsored by Amerisure Insurance Companies. Twenty-eight teams from eleven high schools competed in this year’s competition. For more information regarding the challenge, please contact David Dieterle, Michigan Council on Economic Education.

An open invitation to stop by anytime during the day to take in the activity. In the morning the students will be engaged in pencil and paper tests on micro, macro, and international/current events. The most exciting part of the day’s competition is always is Quiz Bowls pitting the top two teams with the highest scores from the morning sessions. The Quiz Bowl will begin around 12:30.

If you would like to volunteer, contact Dr. David Dieterle at MCEE (david@mceeonline.org).

See you March 25.

In the fall of 2008, Learning Point Associates conducted a nationwide randomized controlled trial measuring the impact of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation’s Stock Market Game on student performance in mathematics and financial literacy. Researchers also conducted a nationwide survey to capture program influence on teacher financial practices. The Stock Market Game is a financial literacy program taught in elementary, middle, and high school.

Click here to download the SMG Learning Point Research Study

About the Study
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation provided a grantto LearningPointAssociates to conducta rigorous,independent study of The Stock Market Game.

Learning Point Associates conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in nearly 600 classrooms nationwide. Approximately half those classrooms played The Stock Market Game and half did not.

Students in the RCT completed three types of instruments:

• Mathematics tests
• Financial literacy tests
• Survey

Learning Point Associates also conducted a nationwide survey of teachers of The Stock Market Game. Teachers who had taught the program witl’lin the previous year, including those particlpatlng in the RCT,were invited to complete the survey, and more than 4,800 teachers did so.

Business Leaders for Michigan is an organization dedicated to serving as a catalyst, convener, and champion of strategies to make Michigan a “Top Ten” state for job and economic growth. Serving as the state’s business roundtable, Business Leaders for Michigan is composed of chairpersons, chief executives, or most senior executives of the state’s largest job providers and universities that provide over 300,000 jobs in Michigan generate over $1 Trillion in annual revenue and serve over 100,000 students.

Robert Hoisington, chairman of the MCEE Board, said that Doug Rothwell’s message was selected for the 2010 Economic Summit because of the urgent need to promote a thoughtful discussion about Michigan’s economic problems and alternative solutions.

The Economic Summit begins with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the program at 8 p.m. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Detroit Branch is located at 1600 East Warren Avenue, Detroit, MI 48207-1063. Reservations for the $150 per seat summit may be made by contacting MCEE Office Manager Suzanne Buck at (248) 596-9560 or suzanne@mceeonline.org.

MCEE is a non-partisan, non-profit corporation to promote, advocate, and strengthen economic literacy for all Michigan citizens. Established in 1979, the Council supports K- 12 economic, financial, and entrepreneurship education through an academically based statewide network of centers and professors hosted by ten colleges and universities throughout the State. MCEE:

• Provides professional development in economic education for teachers.
• Develops and distributes standards-based curriculum materials.
• Provides guidance for school systems in the use of standards-based economic curricula.
• Builds excitement for learning economics through student competitions.
• Recognizes teachers and school systems for outstanding endeavors in economic education.

For more information, visit mceeonline.org or call (248) 596-9560.