JHS claims top prize in Stock Market Game

Economics Arkansas also facilitates the game statewide and is a nonprofit educational organization that trains educators on how to incorporate economic and personal finance concepts into the PreK-12 classroom.

The game challenges students in grades 4-12 to grow a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio over the course of each fall and spring semester or the whole school year.

Academies at Jonesboro High School Vocational & Virtual Learning Teacher Allyson Goodin was the advisor for the winning team, which consisted of Matthew Kueter and Landen Bruden, who recorded a net balance of $167,623.89.

Goodin said that the competition had been completely voluntary as it was an extra activity that some of the EAST students were doing.

Of the four teams, each consisting of two students, participating during the fall semester, Goodin said that Kueter and Bruden’s team, not only won first place at state, but they were also her first team to win at the state level.

“The fall session of the amazing Stock Market Game was a real nail biter,” Goodin laughed.

“My students came in every day showing me the standings. They would even screenshot the standings and email them to me,” she recalled, noting how the students followed the New York stock exchange continuously.

“It was a great way to get the kids to learn about companies that they had never heard of,” Goodin said. “Of course they know about businesses like Nike, Google and Amazon, but they also got to learn about some small businesses that were doing good on the stock market too.”

She said that the game got her students reading and doing math without realizing it.

Goodin said that Kueter and Bruden would be receiving medals, $125 for winning first place at the Regional Level and $250 for State, when they go to the awards luncheon in Little Rock on May 4.

She also said they had inspired more teams this semester and she now has six teams for the spring session which began Monday.

A yearlong component of the competition is currently underway as well.

The winners of each session receive cash prizes and will be recognized at the first student awards luncheon held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fall 2022 1st place winners for Region 4 (Northeast Arkansas) include:

Visual & Performing Art Magnet School Elementary, teacher advisor – Stephanie Richardson, Jonesboro.

Swifton Middle School, teacher advisor – Luann Russell, Swifton.

Academies at Jonesboro High School, teacher advisor – Allyson Goodin, Jonesboro.