State senator speaks with Addison Trail students

On Feb. 7, State Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) met with Addison Trail economics students to speak about an online simulation program called The Stock Market Game, a program of the SIFMA Foundation that's administered by Econ Illinois.

The game is meant to help students learn more about financial literacy. Through the game, students manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio and invest in stocks, bonds and mutual funds, learning about global markets, long-term saving and investing. They compete on a local level in The Stock Market Game competition or on a national level in the Capitol Hill Challenge. At Addison Trail, about 70 students in teacher Tom Hubner’s economics classes have been participating in the program since Feb. 3, and the competition lasts about 15 weeks. There are 28 Addison Trail teams competing in the local competition and about seven teams competing in the national competition. A few staff members are competing as well. The top 10 teams in the Capitol Hill Challenge will win a trip to Washington, D.C., where they will be recognized.

Debbie Kerman, Program Director with Econ Illinois, said The Stock Market Game is used by about 30,000 students in Illinois in fourth through twelfth grades. She added the program is proven to increase math scores and provides teachers with a curriculum tied to the new Common Core State Standards.

“The Stock Market Game integrates math and current events in a fun way,” Kerman said. “Students are learning critical skills without even realizing it.”