Virtual Economics for K-12 Teachers Professional Development Workshops

Monday, Jan. 14, 2008
3:00-6:00 p.m.
Bridgewater State College

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Salem State College

Monday, Feb. 11, 2008
2:30-5:30 p.m.
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Tuesday May 6, 2008
3:00-6:00 p.m.
Bourne High School
George G. Watson Jr

Flier

Student teams, with 3-5 students per team, compete in one of two divisions. The Adam Smith division is for students currently taking an Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, honors, college level, or one-year economics class. The David Ricardo division is for students enrolled in all other general economics or one-semester economics classes.

This year in Massachusetts, the initial competition will be conducted online during the period March 10-12, 2008." The 10 top-scoring teams (1) in each division--David Ricardo and Adam Smith--from across the state will be invited to come to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to compete in the Massachusetts Economics Challenge on Monday March 31, 2008.

Students, participating as individuals and teams, take examinations in a wide range of economic subject areas in an effort to determine who will compete in the final round quiz bowl competition. This college-bowl like competition, which blends the excitement of an athletic event with the pursuit of academic excellence, tests students' knowledge of basic and complex economic concepts and theories.

The winning Adam Smith and David Ricardo teams from Massachusetts will then advance to the East Regional (2) competitions, which will be held on April 29, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. The winners of the regional competitions, including the teams and their teachers, will each receive $1,000 U.S. Savings Bonds. The runner-up teams and their teachers will each receive $500 U.S. Savings Bonds.

After that, the winning teams from both divisions of the Regionals will advance to compete at the national finals in New York City on May 17-19, 2008. The teams’ and teachers’ travel expenses will be paid by National Council on Economic Education. The winning national championship team members and their teachers will each receive $3,000 U.S. Savings Bonds. The runner-up team members and their teachers will receive $1,500 U.S. Savings Bonds.

It is both exciting and rewarding to see students compete on the basis of their knowledge of economics. This is a FUN competition that students enjoy.

If you are a Massachusetts teacher who wishes to register students for the Adam Smith and/or David Ricardo preliminary competitions, please click here to register online.

For an overview of the national contest, click here to visit the National Economics Challenge site.

Last year, Massachusetts did exceptionally well. Belmont High’s Adam Smith team advanced to the finals in New York. Here are some news stories about last year’s Massachusetts Economics Challenge:

• NCEE/Goldman Sachs Foundation Announce Student Team Finalists Vying for the National Economics Challenge Championship Title
• Iolani High School and Carmel High School Win National Economics Challenge Sponsored by the NCEE and the Goldman Sachs Foundation

If you have questions or need further information, please contact any of the following people:

Margaret Brooks President of Massachusetts Council on Economic Education Phone: (508) 531-2865 Email: mbrooks@bridgew.edu Web site: www.masseconomiced.org George Watson Director Center for Economic Education Bridgewater State College Phone (508) 531-2866 Email: G1watson@bridgew.edu Dorothy Siden Director Center for Economic Education Salem State College Phone: (978) 542-6681 Email: dsiden@salemstate.edu George “Scott” Guild Director of Economic Education Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Phone: (617) 973-3639 Email: George.Guild@bos.frb.org

Click here to view upcoming teacher workshops in Massachusetts, featuring a free copy of the Virtual Economics cd to all participants.

These workshops are open to all interested teachers. If you are a teacher who plans to prepare students for the Massachusetts Economics Challenge, Virtual Economics is an excellent resource.

1. Teachers may enter as many teams as they wish in the preliminary online competition. However, a school may send a maximum of 2 teams per division, per school, for the in-person Massachusetts Economics Challenge on March 31, 2008. For instance, if one school has the 3 of the 10 top-scoring Adam Smith teams in the state, the 2 highest scoring Adam Smith teams from that school will represent the school in that division at the Federal Reserve Bank for the statewide Challenge. This policy is meant to encourage maximum school participation across the state.
2. In previous years, competing East Regional states have included Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia.

2006 Adam Smith Winners, pictured with:
MCEE Board Chairman Dan McCarthy (right) and MCEE President Margaret Brooks (left)