3 minute read
The Stock Market GameTM Brings New Financial Literacy Option to Schools
Randy Hultgren
IBA President and CEO
Martin Cabrera grew up on the southside of Chicago, in a hard-working, blue collar family. His family did not have much interest or opportunity in finance, banking, or investments. Martin’s dream was to become an architect. It was a high school teacher who pushed Martin to take Economics and join the school’s Stock Market GameTM team. Martin fell in love with finance and markets during that class. He went on to graduate with a finance degree from Northern Illinois University and now runs Cabrera Capital Markets, one of the largest Hispanic financial services firms in the country. Martin Cabrera continues to give back by sponsoring thousands of high school students to learn and grow in financial literacy from The Stock Market GameTM in their school at no cost to the student or school.
The Illinois Bankers Association has been given an amazing opportunity and has become the Illinois licensee of The Stock Market GameTM . (See page 10.) The SIFMA Foundation’s curriculum-based Stock Market Game features a high-tech, online investment simulation of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and ESG investments to give students a better understanding of capital markets, global economic trends and fiscal policy. The Stock Market GameTM explores the fundamentals of personal finance and investing, while practicing content and skills in math, English language arts, economics, social studies, and other subjects. Students build and manage an investment portfolio in a real-world, dynamic marketplace, analyze and make decisions, explore the consequences of their choices, and seek new ways to strategize for success.
Founded in 1977 by academics at Buffalo State, The Stock Market GameTM has since expanded through a national network of educational nonprofit organizations to reach nearly 19 million students. An independent study by Learning Point Associates found that students who participated in The Stock Market GameTM scored significantly higher on mathematics and financial literacy tests than their peers who did not participate. They also found that teachers who taught The Stock Market GameTM reported that the program motivated them to better plan for their own financial futures. The Stock Market GameTM has been named the only program that successfully increased scores on the Jumpstart Coalition’s test of high school students’ financial literacy.
The Illinois Bankers Association is committed to increasing the financial literacy and understanding of all individuals in Illinois, and especially young people. We believe The Stock Market GameTM fits perfectly within the mission of our impactful Illinois Bankers Education Services and will add to the strong educational programming, the Future Leaders Alliance, and our growing IBA scholarships to bring proven financial training to high school students from every part of Illinois.
We need you, the great Members of the IBA, to help bring this fantastic tool to more students. You know your communities and are committed to helping families and businesses grow. You can make sure students in your community have access to this proven tool by calling your local teacher, principal, or superintendent to confirm that they know about and are using The Stock Market GameTM in their school. Would you be willing to mentor and advise a local teacher or a team of students on what you have learned about finance and banking? The Stock Market GameTM is already impacting tens of thousands of students in Illinois. The current uncertainty for schools is the perfect time to reap the benefits of this on-line curriculum. Be the catalyst so your young people do not miss out. Together, our bankers and the IBA can help thousands more students gain this priceless financial training.
