In this Issue
  • The Stock Market Game™, Grades 4 to 12
  • Governor's Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance, Grades 9 to 12
  • Reading Makes Cents, Grades K to 5
  • Virginia Reads One Book, Grades K to 5
  • Virginia Economic Educator Awards, Grades K to 12
  • Spring Online K-5 Economic & Personal Finance Teacher Course
  • Browse Dozens of Upcoming Online & In-Person Professional Development Opportunities, Grades K to 12
Stock Market Game™
Sign-up Now: 2019 Spring Session Begins Feb. 4
Students in Grades 4 to 12 love the thrill of managing simulated $100,000 investment portfolios as part of the  Stock Market Game.™    This proven, comprehensive classroom program correlates to math, social studies, business, economics, and language arts. It also reinforces the importance of long-term saving and investing. This real-time, online program helps your students build research and collaboration skills and ignites interest in current events and the global economy.

Top Virginia teams are recognized regionally and at a statewide awards ceremony in Richmond, VA in May. There is a small team fee to participate in the Stock Market Game™.  
January is Teacher Stock Market Game™ Intro Month in Virginia  

Virginia educators who are interested in the Stock Market Game™ are invited to participate in these free professional development opportunities:

•  Seven  statewide, in-person teacher workshops >> Click here
•  Three  online, teacher webinars >> Click here
•  Thirty-six  days of online access so teachers can preview the Stock Market Game™

The deadline to register for the 2019 Spring Session for the Stock Market Game™ is February 15, 2019 .


>> Click to get more info including an online essay contest, scholarship contest and a program to connect schools with local financial experts. 

Thank you to   BB&T Scott & Stringfellow , the  Mid-Atlantic Securities Traders Association   and  Union Bank & Trus t   for sponsoring the Stock Market Game™ in Virginia. We are also grateful to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for hosting the awards events in May. 
Governor’s Challenge in Economics & Personal Finance
High School Teachers: Signup Now
In the Virginia Governor's Challenge students demonstrate their knowledge in economics and/or personal finance.

In March, teams of 3 to 4 high school students complete 30-question quiz(es) in 35 minutes in the Online Challenges. Teachers may register their students now to participate in one or two of the Online Challenges and have flexibility to schedule the Challenges over several weeks in March. Teachers have access to their students' team and individual scores.

Teams with top Online Challenge scores are recognized regionally and statewide. Teams with the highest scores are invited to participate in an exciting, all-day statewide championship event on April 11 in Richmond, VA. There is no fee to participate in the Governor’s Challenge. 


Thanks to   Capital One for its support of the 2019 Governor's Challenge in Economics & Personal Finance.   
Reading Makes Cents
Promote Reading & Financial Literacy for Your K-5 Students
Virginia elementary school librarians who sign up for Reading Makes Cents are given the three featured books to read to their students, courtesy of Virginia529 . Lessons and activities that librarians and teachers can use to solidify key concepts and further engage their students are provided by Virginia Council on Economic Education.

Students are encouraged to enter the Reading Challenge and read five books from a list of more than 70 books which promote financial literacy. From the student reading logs submitted by April 12, 2019 , Virginia529 will randomly select 14 to receive $529 for an Invest529 account (two from each region). And, the school with the highest percentage of students participating in each of the seven statewide regions will also receive $500 worth of financial literacy books for the school library.

Virginia Reads One Book
Sign-Up Now, For K-5 Students
Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire   by Sundee T. Frazier is the featured book for the  March 2019 Virginia Reads One Book  program. The Virginia Council on Economic Education has partnered with Read To Them, a nonprofit organization, to support this statewide, family and community reading event celebrating financial and family literacy.

Beginning March 1, a copy of  Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire will be given to every student and staff member in particpating schools (fee required) . Over the next three weeks, students, their families and staff will read one or two chapters each day and participate in other fun activities using resources and suggestions provided by Read To Them. The Virginia Council on Economic Education developed K-1, 2-3 and 4-5 teacher guides providing economic and financial lessons and activities aligned with the book.  The teacher guides are available here.

A mystery reader from the  Washington Redskins  will kick-off the statewide reading event on March 1 with an exclusive video-cast reading of the first chapter.

Limited needs-based funding may be available.
The 2018 Virginia Economic Educator Award Winners
On December 7, the Virginia Council on Economic Education joined with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond to celebrate the 2018 Outstanding Economic Educators selected from each affiliated Center and announce Mark Jones from Hickory High School in Chesapeake as Virginia’s 2018 Outstanding Economic Educator.

Other educators recognized for their sustained commitment to economic and financial education included:
Dianna Alger, Page County High School
Dina J. Baber, Discovery School of Virginia
Robin Dotson, Central High School
Malinda Hogan, Riverbend High School
Patrick D. Riley, Heritage High School
Patricia Winch, Fairfax County Middle School Social Studies Specialist
Chad Wright, Grayson County Career & Technical Education Center

Winners of the lesson/unit awards were also recognized:
Gary Greenwood,  Fluvanna County High School
Bethany Everidge,  Harrisonburg High School
Lisa Taylor,  Leesville Road Elementary School
Christine Pedersen,  New Kent High School

Mini-Grant award winners included:
Amanda S. Grimm , Alleghany High School
James Meadows, Gretna High School
Tammy May, Co-winner, Lacey Spring Elementary School
Tara Hardy, Co-winner, John C. Myers Elementary School



Thank you to   Virginia Credit Union   and   Virginia Housing Development Authority   for providing financial support for these awards.

The   Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond   is co-sponsor of the Virginia Economic Educator Awards and hosts the annual awards ceremony.
Economics & Personal Finance Online Course
For All Virginia K-5 Educators
Register by February 18, 2019 for this online professional development course for K to 5 educators. This course includes five modules designed for participants to complete in 3 to 4 hours a week. Module topics include:

Introduction
Making Good Decisions
Producing and Earning
Savings
Investing

A sixth module, Using Credit, is optional. The course includes pedagogy and teaching demonstrations from experienced elementary teachers and identification of grade-level appropriate resources. Participating teachers receive a flash drive containing K-12 lessons from Financial Fitness for Life (priced at about $54.95).  This online course begins March 4 and offers 25 potential recertification credits.   There is no charge for this online course, but a refundable deposit is required. 


Funding to support this course is generously provided by the Fund for Teaching Excellence.
Upcoming Professional Development Workshops for
Virginia K-12 Educators, Provided at No Charge
From the Economics of Dating to Energy, Economics & the Environment, VCEE’s affiliated Centers for Economic Education offer a number of programs year-round. Open to public, private and homeschool educators. All workshops are provided at no charge, but some require a refundable deposit.

About the Virginia Council on Economic Education
For the latest news from Virginia Council on Economic Education, visit our News   webpage or follow us on  Facebook . If you have questions, suggestions or story ideas to share, please contact Laura O'Brien, Director of Communications at  lbobrien@vcu.edu .

Established in 1970, the Virginia Council on Economic Education , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, seeks to ensure that Virginia’s K-12 students obtain the economic knowledge and financial skills needed to thrive in our dynamic economy.

The Virginia Council on Economic Education and its network of nine university-based Centers for Economic Education provide professional development and classroom programs for K-12 educators. The Centers are located at Christopher Newport University; George Mason University; James Madison University; Old Dominion University; University of Lynchburg; University of Mary Washington; University of Virginia’s College at Wise; Virginia Commonwealth University; and, Virginia Tech. VCEE is affiliated with the national Council for Economic Education.

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