Utah Treasurer Kirt Slaugh recognizes students for winning Spring 2021 Utah Stock Market Game

Nearly 3,200 students from across the state competed in the Spring 2021 Utah Stock Market Game; 19 students were members of teams that placed in the top three of their division

SALT LAKE CITY – May 20, 2021 – Utah State Treasurer Kirt Slaugh applauds the winners of the Spring 2021 Stock Market Game. Nearly 3,200 students from across the state participated in the game, competing in elementary, middle school and high school divisions. The top three teams within each division are represented by 19 students in total.

The Stock Market Game is a 10-week simulation of Wall Street trading that provides a framework for Utah students to learn about the U.S. economy and financial markets. During the game, students invest a hypothetical $100,000 in common stocks and diversified investment funds on the major exchanges. Teams are ranked based on the ending value of their investment portfolios.

The Office of State Treasurer typically hosts an awards banquet to honor the winners of the Stock Market Game. To help slow the community spread of COVID-19, the awards banquets for the Spring 2021, Fall 2020 and Spring 2020 games were cancelled. In lieu of these events, the office worked with teachers to arrange alternative events, such as school visits featuring classroom pizza celebrations.

A team of two Vista Heights Middle School students in Heather Woffinden’s class, Stockton Carlson and Calvin Lambert, placed first in the middle school division. Carlson said, “We noticed that GameStop stock was going higher, and we both like video games, so we invested in GameStop.” Lambert added, “We used Yahoo Finance, and we saw that it had shot up like a month earlier. We noticed that something was going on on Reddit, so we decided to invest in GameStop. We learned that social media, and Reddit in this case, can really have a big effect on things.”

Photos of the winning students have been shared on the office’s social media. Students had the opportunity to record a short video describing what they learned while playing the game. These videos are also posted on social media and to the office’s website.

“When integrated with other curriculum, the Stock Market Game helps students understand the stock market, the costs and benefits involved in economic decision making, the sources and uses of capital and other related economic concepts,” Treasurer Slaugh said. “I appreciate the efforts of our teachers to help improve the financial knowledge of our next generation, and I’m proud of the students for their success.”

The Spring 2021 Stock Market Game winning teams represent the following schools: Skyline High School in Granite School District, Northridge High School in Davis School District, Lone Peak High School in Alpine School District, Vista Heights Middle School in Alpine School District, Lake Mountain Middle School in Alpine School District, Legacy Jr. High School in Davis School District, Midway Elementary School in Wasatch County School District, Ridge View Elementary School in Jordan School District and Thunder Ridge Elementary School in Alpine School District.

A list of winners is available on the Office of State Treasurer website: treasurer.utah.gov/recent-winners/. For more information about the Stock Market Game and its accompanying InvestWrite program, visit: treasurer.utah.gov/stock-market-game.

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