Two teams from Ms. Heather Hobb’s math class at Prospect Mill Elementary School won top honors in the Spring Stock Market Game this month. Team ZZ692 placed second elementary in the North Central region, with a final Total Equity of $118,827.22. The team members were Bethany O’Malley, Ali Husain, Zachary Mulcare, Margaret Dorokhina, and Cameron Grabofski. Team ZZ689 placed first elementary in the entire state with a final Total Equity of $130,400.59. The team members were Kaitlyn Cammer, Brendan Smith, Danny Phillips, Allison Schappell and Shane Spurlock. Along with team ZZ563 from Kathy Thompson’s fifth grade math class who won the North Central region in the Fall Stock Market Game, these teams will be honored by the Maryland Council on Economic Education at awards ceremonies in May.

 The Stock Market GameTM (SMG) is an educational simulation that teaches about the stock markets, the American economic system and the global economy. Participants develop skills in math, language arts, research and critical thinking, while building and maintaining a stock portfolio. SMG is used in grades 4-12, college courses, and by those who seek to learn more about investing. Since 1977, over 8 million students have participated in this national program.

 Each team has an "account" with a hypothetical $100,000 to invest in common stocks listed on the New York and American Stock Exchanges, and the Nasdaq Stock Market. To guide in managing their portfolios, students can explore different investment opportunities using the SMG's online data resources. During the ten-week simulation each fall and spring, teams can trade stocks via personal computer. The value of trades is then calculated using share prices at the close of the participating stock markets. Students may qualify to win plaques, certificates and other awards based on the success of their investment management strategy at the end of the ten-week session.