June 27, 2023 - Mountain Valley Middle School and Johnson Ranch Elementary students won the Spring 2023 Stock Market Game competition beating teams throughout Central Texas in the middle and elementary school categories.
Taking first place for the middle school division was a team comprised of sixth-grade students in Darla Blaksley’s class at MVMS. These students had never played the game before and were excited and proud of their results.
Winning team members include Alexandra Castillo, Denise Leon, Alicia Lopez, Cinthia Luna andAriana Manzueta.
In the elementary division, fourth-grade students at JRES took both top prizes with one of its teams taking first place and another team taking second place with the guidance of teacher Michelle Wibracht.
Members of the JRES first-place team known as the Knights of the Stockmarket include Ryker Collins, Hope Daniel and Christian Martinez. Members of the second-place team known as The Whoppers include Ethan Dvorak, Noah Hartman, Harper Jacobi and Andrew Wilson.
“Students examine the economy, wealth and poverty and what factors are responsible for our individual status, which strikes up great conversations for discussion, and they can come up with solutions for their own specific economic situations,” says Blaksley who has been teaching the Stock Market Game for three years.
“This first-place win built confidence, not just in the winning team, but for all my students. They now believe that they too can become investors in the future and even become wealthy one day and better their lives.”
Wibracht, who has taught the Stock Market Game for four years, agrees that the game challenges students to research, analyze, infer and make decisions based on real data and in real time.
“Students are able to embrace choice and the results that come with that choice as well as develop their collaboration skills by working with a team and conversing on different stocks intelligently,” Wibracht says.
Sponsored by the SIFMA Foundation, the Stock Market Game provides students with the opportunity to learn the value of long-term investing through an online educational program offered to teachers in Central Texas.
Students play individually or in teams of up to five and use a simulation with an imaginary investment of $100,000 to trade stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
To be competitive, they conduct research and follow global news that can impact financial markets, then place trades in real-time through computer or the SMG smartphone app, to increase their portfolio value. In addition, students may choose socially responsible investments by selecting companies in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development goals.
Congratulations!
-A team of sixth-grade students from Mountain Valley Middle School won the Spring 2023 Stock Market Game. Pictured from left is Alexandra Castillo, Denise Leon, Alicia Lopez, Cinthia Luna and Ariana Manzueta.