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CEEF Courses
CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ECONOMICS & FINANCE
The Center for Entrepreneurship, Economics & Finance (CEEF) provides students the opportunity to learn real-world critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills, while creating a foundation for business, finance or entrepreneurial endeavors in the future. Students taking WMA's finance courses will learn key financial concepts, investment tools and the foundation to building an investment portfolio, all while increasing their knowledge in financial literacy and global economics. Entrepreneurship courses teach students how to think and act like entrepreneurs. Through their coursework, they will plan, implement and evaluate real programs including for profit and nonprofit organizations. Students enrolled in CEEF courses will utilize the state-of-the-art Mark R. Shenkman Trading Center, as well as WMA's computer lab to embark on active research in their journey to understanding the global financial environment. WMA's showcase facility houses 16 computer stations with monitor displays, two 70" LCD monitors, LED dynamic stock ticker, video conferencing capabilities as well as a subscription to AAII (American Association of Individual Investors). Sample course progression:
Grade 9 Options
Intro to Economics
Financial Planning Grade 10 Options Intro to Economics Financial Planning Entrepreneurship Global Entrepreneurship Social Entrepreneurship
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Level: Introductory, Grade 9 or above. Prerequisite: none Term
This one trimester course focuses on providing students with basic personal finance skills. Students will study the following topics: money management; borrowing; earning power; investing; financial services; and insurance. Within these topics, students will learn how to control their cash flow to meet financial goals, use credit and debt responsibly, build wealth, use financial services in a wary and sensible manner, and protect personal property, financial resources and personal information.
Grade 11 Options Grade 12 & PG Options
All previous options plus: Portfolio Management Stock Market Analysis Honors Behavioral Finance AP Macroeconomics All previous options plus: AP Microeconomics - online
INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS
Level: Introductory, Grade 10 or above. Prerequisite: none Term
In this introductory course students develop a basic understanding of economic principles that will allow them to be more informed and build their ability to discuss current economic events in the media. Topics include scarcity, opportunity cost, economic systems, supply and demand, gross domestic product, economic growth, business cycles, unemployment, inflation and trade. Through activities and projects, students will develop analytical and problem-solving skills by learning how to interpret and explain economic data and models, and determine outcomes. In addition, this course will look to further develop students critical reading, note-taking, research, writing and presentations skills. This course is NCAA approved.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Level: Intermediate, Grade 10 or above Prerequisite: none Term
Students prepare for becoming responsible, enterprising entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers who contribute to economic development and sustainable communities. The curriculum follows the framework of the National Standards for Entrepreneurship Education. Students will use strategies for idea generation and assessment of feasibility of ideas; learn to understand basic free market economy and the entrepreneur's role in the economy; expand their awareness of social responsibility and the entrepreneur's contribution to society; demonstrate an understanding of financial management and basic accounting principles; and understand steps essential in business startup. Students will read related literature, including case studies, and create new model ventures with a focus on opportunity recognition, resource management, and team building.
Level: Intermediate, Grade 10 or above Prerequisite: Entrepreneurship preferred This course presents the opportunities and challenges of global entrepreneurship in the context of a world that is rapidly changing in both economic and cultural ways. Through a series of exercises, students will improve their critical reading, researching, writing, notetaking, outlining and verbal skills. Class discussions, student presentations and written formats will all be part of the process. The overall goal of the class is to develop global thinkers who exhibit an expanded awareness of global opportunities. Upon completion, students should understand and appreciate the importance of global citizenship and global competence; be able to analyze and describe individual cultural norms and expectations; exhibit broadened sensitivity to the challenges of living in cross cultural and cross-national environments; understand similarities and differences of entrepreneurship in developed, emerging and transitional economies.
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Level: Advanced, Grade 10 or above Prerequisite: Entrepreneurship or Global Entrepreneurship Term
How do we create innovative and effective solutions to social problems around the world? This course was designed for individuals who want to identify and bring about transformative societal change. Using the Declaration of Human Rights as the basis of study, students will investigate social issues of their choosing, based on the Articles from this document created for the United Nations in 1948 and still respected today. At the conclusion of the course, students will understand and appreciate the importance of social entrepreneurship in today’s world; have broadened individual sensitivity to the challenges of living in a world beset with social problems; be able to analyze and describe individual actions that might be taken to impact social issues; and develop the skills required to work collaboratively on a solution.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Term
Level: Intermediate, Grade 10 or above Prerequisite: Financial Planning or departmental permission This one trimester course provides an overview of how an individual would build a portfolio over time and manage a portfolio based on the fundamental principles of portfolio management. Emphasis will be placed on techniques to develop a portfolio, researching mutual funds and stocks and the evaluation of portfolio performance. Topics will include portfolio diversification, investment analysis, risk, financial literacy and asset allocation. Projects include researching a mutual fund company and preparing a personal investment plan.
Level: Intermediate, Grade 10 or above Prerequisite: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management or department permission This one trimester course provides an overview of how an individual would build a portfolio over time and manage a portfolio based on the fundamental principles of portfolio management. Emphasis will be placed on techniques to develop a portfolio, researching mutual funds and stocks and the evaluation of portfolio performance. Topics will include portfolio diversification, investment analysis, risk, financial literacy and asset allocation. Projects include researching a mutual fund company and preparing a personal investment plan.
HONORS BEHAVIORAL FINANCE
Term
Level: Intermediate, Grade 11 or above Prerequisite: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management or department permission Honors Behavioral Finance is a deep examination of how psychology informs the art and science of investment management. The course examines the sociological, neurological and psychological factors as well as cognitive biases that influence our investment decisions and investor behavior. Students will explore concrete solutions for refining the decision-making processes, increasing self-awareness and constraining the fatal flaws to which most investors are prone.
AP MACROECONOMICS - The Global Economy
Level: Advanced Placement. Prerequisite: Departmental permission The purpose of the AP course in macroeconomics is to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to a typical college introductory macroeconomic course and prepare them for the AP exam in the spring. Students will be taught economic principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. Emphasis is placed on the study of national income, price determination, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth and international economics. Through lectures, class discussions, class
activities and homework assignments, students define terms, calculate and interpret tabular data, conduct graphical analysis, analyze hypothetical scenarios and develop skills in explanatory diagrams and technical writing. The course utilizes the text Krugman’s Macroeconomics for the AP Course 3E in addition to supplementary reading and listening material. This course is NCAA approved. The AP exam is mandatory. Exam fee is charged
AP MICROECONOMICS Online***
Level: Grades 11 & 12, Advanced Placement. Prerequisite: AP Macroeconomics, Departmental permission This course gives students an understanding of how limited resources and unlimited wants result in the need to make choices, both individually and collectively. Students will learn why private markets and the price mechanism lead to an efficient allocation of resources in a market-based economy. Market structure, market failure, natural resource markets and the role of government are included. Students analyze societal issues through the lens of economic reasoning, develop critical thinking skills through the understanding and analysis of fundamental economic concepts and increase their ability to analyze information and draw conclusions from a wide variety of real-world situations. Students complete collaborative assignments, group discussions and assessments that require them to apply what they have learned to hypothetical situations. The course is recommended for students in grades 11 and 12 with strong mathematical reasoning skills and an interest in economics, finance, business or government policy. Offered Online through One Schoolhouse. Fees apply. The AP exam is mandatory. Exam fee is charged
