Challenges

Join the Quiz Bowl – Economics and Personal Finance Challenges are back!

Attention Teachers!

Are you ready to bring some excitement into your classroom while helping your students sharpen their knowledge of Economics or Personal Finance? You still have a chance to join these Challenges – but hurry, the deadline to complete the steps is March 14, 2025!

Completing it is easy! Here’s how in less than 2 days:

  1. Register yourself for either the Personal Finance or Economics challenge and form student teams of up to 4 people while waiting for approval from the state coordinator. (takes up to 24 hours)
  2. Add your classroom teams on the official website and provide each student with their unique “access code.” (5 minutes)
  3. Let the students take the quiz through the “student access” button. (35 minutes)
  4. Check student scores and track their progress directly on the website. (see tutorial)

Why should you participate?

  • Pinpoint areas for improvement – Identify where your students excel and where they need extra support using their scores. Personal Finance Lessons and Economics Lessons are available to provide the students additional help.
  • State Finals Opportunity – If your team performs well, you’ll be invited to the State Finals, where you can network with other dedicated educators and high-achieving students as they compete for the top team.
  • Cash Prizes for the first and second place state winners!
  • National Finals Trip – Winning teams at the state level earn a travel expense-paid trip to the National Finals!
  • Recognition for Your School – State qualifying schools will be featured on the Iowa Jump$tart website, giving you and your students the recognition you deserve.

Still on the fence? Check out what other Iowa teachers and students are saying about this exciting opportunity!

Don’t miss this chance to engage your students in a fun, competitive learning experience while showcasing their skills on a bigger stage.

The challenges are sponsored by Iowa Jump$tart and the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services.

Contests

Accounting Opportunities Experience and High School Case Competition

The Iowa Society of CPAs’ Accounting Opportunities Experience

The Iowa Society of CPAs is excited to have partnered with other state CPA societies, AICPA, and Center for Audit Quality’s Accounting+ initiative to raise awareness of the accounting profession among high school (and middle school!) students through Accounting Opportunities Experience. A national campaign to bring CPAs into classrooms took place throughout the month of November. We even received a declaration from the governor of Iowa designating the month of November Accounting Opportunities Month! We held in-person presentations across the state to help high school students better understand opportunities in the business world. During 2023 Accounting Opportunities Experience, we reached 1676 Iowa high school students and presented in 39 different schools utilizing almost 50 CPA volunteer presenters! ISCPA is still accepting classrooms and continuing to give presentations throughout the year, not only in November! If you would like to bring CPAs into your classroom, please complete this 2-minute survey and a member of the Iowa Society of CPAs will contact you. Thank you for all you do to inspire the next generation of accounting professionals! 

The Iowa Society of CPAs’ High School Case Competition

The Iowa Society of CPAs (ISCPA) is excited to announce the Second Annual ISCPA High School Case Competition for the spring semester. This is a fantastic opportunity to expose students to the accounting profession! The case provides students an on-going, real-world learning experience – culminating in a day spent in person at a host company, either CPA firm or company, near you! This begins with an ISCPA member scheduling four visits to your accounting class this spring. Members will help supplement the accounting curriculum by teaching four accounting modules to prepare the students for the case. Topics include Accounts Receivable, Bad Debt Expense and other adjusting journal entries, Financing, and Financial Statement Analysis. After four classroom visits students will be ready for the Case Competition, which will be held towards the end of the spring semester in person at a host office. The case provides students the opportunity to finalize yearend financial statements and complete some basic financial statement analysis. In addition to accounting fundamentals, students will practice working in small teams and demonstrate presentation skills.

On the day of the Case Competition, students will be given the case to complete in small groups of approximately four students. ISCPA members will be on hand to assist the groups. During the office visit, students will also have an opportunity to tour the host company, meet a variety of accounting professionals, and enjoy a catered lunch courtesy of the host company. Teams will record and electronically submit their presentations. Once all teams have submitted their recordings, a panel of ISCPA members will judge the presentations and determine the winners. The winning team will be announced at the ISCPA Annual Meeting, receive an ISCPA High School Case Competition trophy, and each member of the winning team will receive a gift card. All participants will receive an ISCPA High School Case Competition t-shirt. This opportunity is open to all accounting students. No class is too big or too small. ISCPA staff will do all of the coordination! Does this sound of interest to you and your students? If so, please contact Natalie Harwood at nharwood@iacpa.org or 515-985-7104 to get signed up.

Contests, News/Accolades

2023 Personal Finance and Economics Challenges

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

News/Accolades

2022 Iowa Economics Challenge

This 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.

Students in Iowa begin the challenge by participating in a preliminary first round of the Challenge online.

In the first round, each team of 3-4 students in three divisions will complete online exams covering topics in macro, micro and international economics. 

The top 10 high school teams in each division will be invited to participate in the State Finals on April 21, 2022. Prizes available!

REGISTER NOW – https://econchallenge.unl.edu/Iowa/Welcome

Contests, Upcoming Events

Team up to win the Finance Challenge!

The Iowa Finance Challenge is a new online financial literacy program available for middle and high school students. This online competition includes 30 questions for students to test their knowledge on income and money management, spending and credit, and savings and investing. Students compete in teams of three or four in the challenge, and test individually to measure the knowledge they have gained.

In addition to providing students with a fun and engaging way to build their financial literacy knowledge, the challenge offers students the chance to win cash prizes. Prizes will be awarded in April during Money Smart Week to the first, second and third place winning teams. The first place team will receive $25 per team member, the second place team will receive $15 per team member, and the third place team will receive $10 per team member. Every team that participates also is registered for a drawing for a $100 gift card.

Teachers interested in having students participate in the challenge can contact Erica Vonk of the Iowa Center for Economic Education at Dordt College at 712-722-6341 or Erica.Vonk@Dordt.edu. The challenge is being facilitated and managed by the Iowa Center for Economic Education at Dordt College, and made possible through a joint sponsorship by the Iowa Jump$tart Coalition and Wells Fargo.

Visit their website at http://financechallenge.unl.edu and click on Iowa.