This fall, senior AP Government students at Spartanburg High School participated in an interactive stock market experience. Placed in teams of three, students were able to invest $100,000 in fictional money into an online stock market, each team trying to profit as the economy changed. SMG Invest Quest is a program that helps students across the state learn about investing stocks and how the stock market works.
According to their website www.stockmarketgame.org, the Stock Market Game has had a positive influence on students, and has resulted in an increase in engagement, participation, academic performance, and improved financial behavior.
Brady Johnson (12) is currently participating in the stock market game with two teammates.
“I decided to play the Stock Market Game because I felt that playing a game with my friends based on the economy and some luck would be fun. Our strategy has been researching specific stocks and making decisions based on how well they have performed. Our best investment so far has been the STNE stock. I have learned that investing is volatile, but if you make very informed decisions there is money to be made.”
While the overall program is available to all age levels, the high school program is set up as a competition between teams and schools to see who can be the most successful. Over 500 teams are competing in South Carolina, and 10 of those are from Spartanburg High School, with one team ranked third in the state in terms of overall profit. Many Economics teachers have used the program to provide an immersive and engaging lesson to help teach students how the stock market functions, and how different economic sectors intertwine.
Gary Purinton is an AP Microeconomics teacher and has participated in the stock market game for over 25 years, ever since he first heard about it in the 1990s. Purinton thought that it would be a good experience for hist students and has continued to participate every year.
“I think this game is more about thinking fast, crunching numbers, looking at news about companies and deciding if you can make money based off that news. You never know where the next Apple or Google is going to come from,” Purinton said, “It’s a great way to get students reading news and making connections between world events and how companies react to them in the market.”
Although a majority of the teams are made up of economic students, the game wis available to anyone who has an interest in stocks and could put together a team.
Alex Newman (12) also has participated in the stock market game and has found it very helpful in learning about stock markets and the economy in general.
“Overall, my team has been pretty successful based on the stocks we own. We chose to focus more on a few stocks rather than invest in many different ones,” Newman said. “Being able to ask Mr. Purinton for advice has definitely helped us make decisions about investments. “
