Massachusetts Council on Economic Education

Belmont High School Wins the 2010 Massachusetts Economics Challenge

Boston, Massachusetts (March 10, 2010) – On Monday March 8, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston hosted an important state-level economics competition as part of the 2010 National Economics Challenge.

Over one hundred students from high schools across Massachusetts competed on school teams to demonstrate their knowledge of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international/current economic events. Participating schools included Belmont High, Bromfield School, Dartmouth High, Dorchester High, Gloucester High, and St. John’s Preparatory School.

The state championship was won by the “Inferior Goods” team from Belmont High School consisting of students Andrew Carey, Chelsea Zhang, Daniel Song, and Tim Hatch. The runners-up were also from Belmont High, with “Invisible Handshake” team members Andy Whitworth, Pamela Shapiro, Martin Richard, and Chris Stadler.

Belmont High teacher Bryan Corrigan was clearly pleased with his students’ excellent performance. “I am so proud of all our participants.  It is great to see their hard work in the classroom pay off.  I see how passionate they are about the subject every day.  They appreciate the opportunity to travel to the Fed and be recognized for their hard work and enthusiasm in the field of economics.”

The Belmont High state champions went on to represent Massachusetts in the National Semifinals on April 26, 2010.

Margaret Brooks, president of the Massachusetts Council on Economic Education, stated “The Massachusetts Economics Challenge is truly a collaborative effort. Not only do students work together in teams during the competition itself, but there are also many sponsors and educators who work together to make the day a success.” The Massachusetts Council on Economic Education received a grant from the Council for Economic Education to assist with funding the competition. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston provided additional funding, resources and expertise. Fed staff members Scott Guild, Director of Economic Education, and Albert Barnor, Economic Education Specialist, offered key leadership and support for running the event. In addition, faculty members and students from Bridgewater State College, Salem State College, Framingham State College, and North Shore Community College volunteered their time to help out with grading and planning. With so many people working side by side to make the day a success, the Economics Challenge provided a winning experience to all the Massachusetts students who participated.

Exeter High Wins NH Economics Challenge

Exeter High School Wins the 2010 New Hampshire Economics Challenge

In the end, the New Hampshire state championship was won by the “Lehman Brothers” team from Exeter High School consisting of students Erin Benotti, Daniel Lameyer, Alex Jones, and Derek Mraz.

The runners-up for the state championship were from the “Monetarists” team representing Kimball Union Academy. These students are Harry Lee, Hui jun (Helen) Zhang,  Ju Hyeon Kim, and Sung Huon (Luke) Han.

The “Deregulators” team from Exeter High also delivered a noteworthy supporting performance. Team members were Emily Bergan, Evan Greene, and Ryan McGovern.

Exeter High teacher Rob Newman was very proud of his students’ excellent performance and was glad to know they will now have the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition in representing their state. Ken Relihan from the New Hampshire Department of Education came and offered sincere congratulations to all the students who came to compete in the New Hampshire Economics Challenge.

The Exeter High state champions represented New Hampshire as they went on to compete in the National Semifinals on April 26.

SNHU Professor David Fehr facilitated on-site arrangements for Southern New Hampshire University to host the day-long event. The Massachusetts Council on Economic Education received a grant from the Council for Economic Education to fund the competition, and MCEE President Margaret Brooks provided key leadership and planning for the competition. Scott Guild, Director of Economic Education, and Albert Barnor, Economic Education Specialist, from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston offered additional leadership and expertise in running the event. Professor Moonsu Han from North Shore Community College in Massachusetts supervised the grading, assisted by educator Dick Brunelle from Boston and a host of dedicated college student volunteers. With so many people working side by side to make the day a success, the state Economics Challenge provided a winning experience to all the New Hampshire students who participated.

It’s happening now and it’s not too late to join the fun!

See summary rules about the National Economics Challenge here:
http://economicschallenge.councilforeconed.org/
http://economicschallenge.councilforeconed.org/rules.php

There are several important changes to this year’s format. First, there will be no preliminary online competition. Everything takes place on the same day. Second, the state and national Economics Challenges no longer have separate Adam Smith and David Ricardo team distinctions; rather, any student is eligible to compete as long as the were enrolled in an economics class at some time during the 2009-2010 academic year. Ideally, each team will consist of four students, although three-student teams are acceptable too.

REGISTER:

PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE TRAINING:
Click here for the New Hampshire presentation on teacher training for the Economics Challenge.
Click here for the Massachusett presentation on teacher training for the Economics Challenge.

ACCOMPANY YOUR TEAMS TO THE STATE CHALLENGE: The Massachusetts Economics Challenge will take place on Monday, March 8 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The New Hampshire Economics Challenge will take place on Monday, March 15 at Southern New Hampshire University. State champions will be awarded trophies and all participants receive certificates.

IF YOUR TEAM WINS: The winning state team will advance to the National Semifinals on April 26. From there, the six winning teams in the National Semifinals advance to the National Finals in New York City on May 22-24, 2010. There are cash prizes awarded to the national winners and the runners-up.

2009 National Economics Challenge Winners -- Phillips Academy Andover

Last year, Phillips Academy Andover won the Massachusetts Adam Smith Championship, and went on to win the Regionals, and then the National Championship!

Please join us for this exciting and free economics competition. Good luck to everyone!