Category: Contests

Contests, News/Accolades

2023 Personal Finance and Economics Challenges

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The Personal Finance Challenge is available to middle and high school students. The competition tests students’ knowledge on income, money management, spending, credit, saving and investing. 

The top 4 teams in each region will be invited to the State Finals on April 12, 2023. Prizes available! 

Personal Finance Challenge – https://financechallenge.unl.edu/Iowa

The Economics Challenge is an opportunity for middle and high school students to demonstrate their knowledge of economics by competing in this FREE program with other students across the state in written and “Quiz Bowl” examinations.

The top 10 high school teams in each division will be invited to participate in the State Finals on April 19, 2023. Prizes available!

Economics Challenge – https://financechallenge.unl.edu/Iowa

Contests, Financial Literacy Tools, Scholarships

At Home Financial Literacy Challenge worth $10,000

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The National Financial Bee

Compete for a chance to win a college scholarship up to $10,000!

Calling all parents and caregivers! The Iowa Insurance Division is proud to sponsor the EVERFI National Financial Bee, a first-of-its-kind nationwide financial literacy challenge for students in 7th-10th grade. This year’s virtual challenge will take place April 20-24, and we want YOU to participate!

During Financial Literacy Month, and especially during this time of unprecedented uncertainty, we are committed to helping our Iowa Insurance Division team and their families plan for their financial future and find ways to pay for college. The National Financial Bee provides an opportunity for students to have some fun and learn critical financial concepts — all from the comfort of home while social distancing!

The five-day challenge was created by social impact education innovator EVERFI, our partner in financial education. Each daily lesson covers important financial topics covering everything from savings, investing, income, debt and more. After completing the lessons, students submit a short capstone essay in which they share their biggest financial dream and outline a plan for how to get there. Three winners of the National Financial Bee will receive up to $10,000 in college scholarships.

How It Works

Students can participate in just 3 easy steps:

  1. Visit the National Financial Bee website https://iid-iowa.everfi-next.net/welcome/national-financial-bee
  2. Complete the 5 lessons (~10 minutes each)
  3. Submit a short essay on your biggest financial dream and how you plan to achieve it by May 8th.

The National Financial be is open to all our Iowa Insurance Division employees, their immediate and extended families, and the communities we serve. We will be promoting the challenge across our social media channels and encourage you to re-share with friends and family.

Contests, Financial Literacy Tools

Classroom opportunity with Iowa JumpStart

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Cache__BannerYou may have heard about the Cache! which is an online game for your classroom. It’s from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, it’s for Money Smart Week, it’s free to you – and there are prizes. Iowa teachers and students are eligible for the national prize as well as the Iowa JumpStart prize. It’s easy for your students to play, but you need to sign up by March 13 so they can access the site.

To participate:

  1. Teachers register and get details at this Money Smart link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Cache2020
  2. Teachers get a code for their students to use – I will send an email to you.
  3. Students use any mobile device or computer to maneuver Ben Franklin through some 21st century financial hurdles and get him to the “portal” to answer the personal finance questions.
  4. Teachers can use Cache! as a fun activity or in conjunction with teaching a personal finance lesson.
  5. Students can play as many times as they wish from March 30 to May 5, 2020.
  6. Cache covers seven topics students should understand – credit scores, identity theft, car loans, student loans, debit vs. credit, paychecks and budgeting.

If you have questions, you can email joanne@kusterltd.com.

Thanks for teaching financial education in your classroom!

Contests, Upcoming Events

Poster Contest is back!

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A fantastic part of Money Smart Week that is coming up in April is the Poster Contest sponsored by Community Bankers of Iowa. The contest is for 2nd-6th grade students. It is fun for the creative kids to try to make some money with their art. Please go to this website for all the details.

http://www.cbiaonline.org/msw-poster-contest.html

Check out other Money Smart Week activities by going to the website:

https://www.moneysmartweek.org/events

Contests, Upcoming Events

Iowa Economics and Personal Finance Challenge Events

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The Iowa Council on Economic Education is facilitating two state finals events – the Iowa Personal Finance Challenge on April 10 at the Federal Reserve Bank in West Des Moines, and the Iowa Economics Challenge at the Iowa State University Extension office in Altoona on April 17.

The Personal Finance Challenge will consist of student teams across Iowa creating presentations on how families can address and manage finances while facing financial adversity. A panel  of judges will determine the state champion, runner up , and third place finishers.

The Economics Challenge will consist of three multiple choice assessment rounds for advanced placement and traditional economics students. The top two teams in each division will then compete in a quiz bowl to determine the state champions.

Last year was the first year of these events in Iowa and they were a great success. This year over 2,500 students throughout our state have participated in the preliminary round and the Iowa Council on Economic Education is excited to bring students from across the state to Des Moines for these championship events.

Volunteers are needed to help judge the Personal Finance Challenge as well as administer and score the assessments in the Economics Challenge. If you are available and willing to help, please contact Bob Mantell at bob.mantell@tsinstitute.org.

Contests

Money Smart Cache!

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Money Smart Cache! is now open for high school teachers to use in the classroom.

Money Smart Cache! is an online game students can play on any mobile device or computer. During the game, student maneuver Ben Franklin through 21st century financial hurdles and get him to the “portal” to answer the quiz questions correctly and help get him back to his own time period.

Money Smart Cache! addresses seven basic topics that students should understand to be financially literate – credit scores, identity theft, car loans, student loans, debit vs. credit, paychecks and budgeting.

To participate, teachers simply sign up to receive a code for their students to use. Students are able to play as many times as they wish, and teachers have access to a guidebook that provides teaching hints. To sign up, click here.

Money Smart Cache! is open the entire month of April and includes a national prize of $250 for one winning student and $250 for his/her teacher.

For more information, click here. 

Contests

Money Smart Kid essay contest deadline extended; additional awards announced

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The Iowa Money Smart Kid essay contest deadline has been extended. Iowa students now have until Friday, March 23, 2018, to enter the essay contest sponsored by the Iowa Bankers Association.

Along with the extended deadline comes an increase in the number of awards offered. Five new awards have been added for contest runner-ups, so now the top ten finalists will be recognized.  Award levels now include the following:

  • $1,000 award to first-place winner (1 award)
  • $500 award to four finalist (4 awards)
  • $300 award for five runner ups (5 awards) – NEW!

Eligible students must be in grades 7-11 and can enter the contest by writing an essay addressing the following:

Please write a brief newspaper article describing the potential devastating effects of a natural disaster (fire, flood, hurricane, etc.) on a family’s financial situation. Please select only one type of natural disaster for the focus of your article. Be sure to include tips and resources for readers to help prepare them for a potential future unexpected crisis.

All essays must be 400 words or fewer and are due by March 23, 2018. Click here for the Money Smart Kid application.

Contests

Money Smart Kid Essays Due March 16

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Each year, during Money Smart Week (MSW), the Iowa Bankers Association sponsors the Money Smart Kid Essay contest in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Essays for the 2018 Money Smart Kid Essay Contest are due Friday, March 16, 2018.

Students who participate in the contest are asked to answer a financial question and relate it back to their life. This year’s, students are asked to address the following:

Please write a brief newspaper article describing the potential devastating effects of a natural disaster (fire, flood, hurricane, etc.) on a family’s financial situation. Please select only one type of natural disaster for the focus of your article. Be sure to  include tips and resources for readers to help prepare them for a potential future unexpected crisis.

One student will be named this year’s Money Smart Kid and will receive $1,000 to put toward their college education. To participate, students must be in grades 7-11 and must reside the Money Smart Week Iowa or Quad City region.

To learn more about the MSW essay contest and to download the application, click here.

Contests

GeoCache for College Cash Winner

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Caleb_MoneySmartGeoCacheWinner2016Caleb Anderson from Luther College was the winner of a $1000 prize to go directly toward tuition (sponsored by Iowa Jump$tart Coalition)!  Congratulations!

“GeoCache for College Cash” is a Money Smart Week Iowa program that takes place at several college campuses across the state of Iowa in April.  About 1,000 students played on Iowa college campuses during the 2016 Money Smart Week.  The contest consists of seven posters, each focused on one personal finance topic and each displaying a unique QR code. Students read the posters, use a smart phone/tablet to scan the QR codes, and access quiz questions (multiple-choice). Answers are recorded for each player, logged via a player provided email.