A team of Stone Hill Middle School students placed as the Top Middle School in Virginia in this year’s Stock Market Game. The winning team, composed of Shayaan Doodekula and Liam McCracken, was recognized at the Annual Stock Market Game State Awards Luncheon at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in May. The students participated in the game under the guidance of Cristin Miller, an 8th-grade Spectrum teacher, who has used this exercise for years to teach students about investing and the world of business.
The Stock Market Game is an online economics and personal finance education program supported by the Virginia Council of Economic Education that encourages students to develop financial literacy while learning about the stock market. To fully immerse students in the exercise, small teams of students are given $100,000 in virtual funds to invest in a simulation of the stock market. Students also receive instructions on how to develop an investment strategy as well as other financial lessons. Teams win the simulation by building the most equity from their investment. Doodekula and McCracken ended the simulation with $124,580.29, making almost $25,000 in virtual revenue between October and April.
“I love having my students participate in Stock Market Game. They learn essential skills like communication and collaboration. Plus, they learn how companies work and about investing. This exercise really sparks critical thinking and it's fun. When I see my students later in high school, this is what they remember doing. I think the exercise has great value,” said Miller.
Miller said that her class plays a year-round version of the game to allow the students to see seasonal spikes in the market, such as trends driven by the winter holidays. Schools around Loudoun County and the state participate in this exercise.
Published June 11, 2024