Tech Students Recognized for Outstanding Performance
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Technical Senior High School Students Receive Awards
St. Cloud, MN – Several students from Technical Senior High School recently received recognition for their outstanding performance in the Year Long Session of The Stock Market Game™ (SMG).
These students participated in the Minnesota High School Divisions of SMG in Craig Aycock and Craig Swanberg’s classes. The 3rd and 5th place teams (student names unknown) were taught by Aycock and the 4th place team, including students Lauren Hobday and Richard Zimring, was taught by Swanberg.
The SMG is a national, interactive learning program for students in grades 4-12, managed locally by Minnesota nonprofit, BestPrep. Students work in teams to invest a virtual $100,000 over a 14-week period, competing with other students for the highest-valued portfolio. Because SMG uses an online platform, students were able to continue their participation during distance learning.
Each SMG team has access to online daily portfolio updates on their current holdings, brokerage fees, and team rankings. Students monitor their portfolio throughout the session and determine when to buy, sell, or hold investments. This spring was an especially interesting learning experience for the students, who learned about the effects COVID-19 had on the stock market.
“The Stock Market Game is unique because students are actually engaging in the stock market in real time. Students see the effect of the financial choices they make, allowing them to understand and make connections to factors that impact the market, which is knowledge that benefit them long-term,” said Stephanie Musgrove, Program Manager at BestPrep.
For the second year, SMG team fees were waived for Technical Senior High School thanks to support from Schwab Advisor Services and funding from Charles Schwab Foundation.
One teacher from this year’s session commented, “The Stock Market Game was a valuable resource in our school because it provided students a platform and insight into a world that they may not have explored on their own. Any time you can provide students an opportunity that serves as a gateway to adulthood, that is a good thing.”
Due to stay-at-home orders and distance learning, students and teachers participated in a virtual awards celebration. These Technical Senior High students and other top-ranking teams from each age division were recognized via video by Jay Robinson, Regional Vice President in Advisor Services for Charles Schwab, who shared a congratulatory keynote message, sharing some of his own insights and experiences in a career in investments. He also reminded students of the long-term value of their participation in SMG.
To view a full listing of the winners and other congratulatory video messages, go to https://bestprep.org/the-stock-market-game/smg-spring-yearlong-winners/
The SMG is run nationally by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation, with the Minnesota chapter of the program managed by BestPrep, a local nonprofit. The program runs each school year with yearlong, fall, spring, and late spring sessions.
For more information about or to participate in The Stock Market Game, contact Stephanie Musgrove at 763.233.6328 or smusgrove@bestprep.org.