Students Win EXCEL Stock Market Game!
Under the direction of their EXCEL teacher, Elayne Reilly, the 8th grade team of Tyler Nolan, Stephen Zuckerman, and Rahul Syal took second place for the region in The Stock Market Game. The students participated in the competition as part of the after-school EXCEL program at Veterans Memorial Middle School.
The after-school EXCEL program at Veterans Memorial Middle School offered students the opportunity to compete in The Stock Market Game. Seven teams entered the contest which began in October and ended on December 18th. The boys called their team STaR (Stephen, Tyler, and Rahul). They invested in Google Inc., The Walt Disney Company, and Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.
Starting with a virtual cash account of $100,000, students strive to create the best-performing portfolio using a live trading simulation. They work together in teams, practicing leadership, organization, negotiation, and cooperation as they compete for the top spot. The boys gained over $5,000 with their stocks which has earned them the opportunity to attend an awards ceremony.
In building a portfolio, students research and evaluate stocks, and make decisions based on what they've learned. Teams trade common stocks and mutual funds from the NYSE, Nasdaq and AMEX exchanges; earn interest on cash balances; pay interest if buying on margin and pay a commission on all trades. To determine why certain stocks perform the way they do or why the broader market has moved up or down, they need to understand how the economy works, and to calculate their returns they need to do the math.
The team's participation in The Stock Market Game has inspired them to set goals and even achieve them. Not only these three students, but all students competing, have agreed that this was a very excellent experience. This program has opened the doors to future investing as adults. Everyone is looking forward to have another contest soon.
