On April 14, 2008, Millersville University will host the Regional Economics Challenge featuring area high school students competing in an academic contest based on their knowledge of economics. Regional teams will be vying to advance to the state finals in Harrisburg and then on to a spot in the National Economics Challenge in New York City. Sponsored nationally the Goldman Sachs Foundation and the National Council on Economic Education, the Economics Challenge is in its eighth year and offers high schools students who study economics an opportunity to showcase their knowledge in a national competition.

At Millersville University, the Economics Challenge is sponsored by the Center for Economic Education under the direction of Dr. Mike Gumpper, professor of economics. Gumpper will serve as the emcee for the competition that will consist of teams from Souderton Area Senior High, Conestoga High School, and North Penn High School.

In Pennsylvania, the Economics Challenge is sponsored and promoted by EconomicsPennsylvania, a non‐profit educational improvement organization focused on promoting and improving financial and economic literacy. Funding for the Economics Challenge in Pennsylvania is provided by the Sojka Family Foundation. EconomicsPennsylvania

partners with centers for economic education across the state to provide educators with training and education in economics and personal finance and to sponsor its flagship programs the Stock Market Game, the Entrepreneurship Challenge, the Business Plan Competition, and the Economics Challenge.

The Economics Challenge consists of two divisions, the Adam Smith and the David Ricardo. Teams can compete in either division depending on how economics is taught at their high school. In the Adam Smith division, students will compete at an introductory college level.

Schools participating in the Economics Challenge in Pennsylvania will compete at one of three regional competitions. The regional winners will move on to the statewide competition held on April 23, 2008 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Harrisburg. Each state will qualify one team from each division to compete in the National Regional Competition held online in real‐time on April 29, 2008. Finally, the national regional winners will compete in the National Championship Finals in New York City on May 17‐19, 2008. Each member and the teacher of the national regional winning teams will receive $1,000 U.S. savings bonds and the national championship teams will each receive $3,000 U.S. savings bonds.

For more information about the Economics Challenge in Pennsylvania, please contact Dr. Mike Gumpper at Millersville University (717‐872‐4858 or mike.gumpper@millersville.edu) or Anita Kane, Economics Challenge State Coordinator (570- 372-9997 or akane@temple.edu).

Back