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North Dakota students to join stock market game

By Stan Stelter

Bismarck, ND – For about 10 weeks starting next Monday, students in some schools across North Dakota will be watching the stock market much closer.

That's because they will be part of an Internet stock-market game -- which simulates Wall Street trading. This is the sixth year that the state Securities Commissioner Office is making it available free to schools in North Dakota.

Nearly 18,000 students in 126 schools have played the game in the past five years. This is Investor Education Coordinator Diane Kambeitz: "We're seeing a lot more participation and teachers are finding that the game is really aiding in their lesson plans in terms of very many curriculum areas, from math, economics and life skills, social studies, business education technology and several disciplines to incorporate into their classrooms.

Kambeitz says students who've played the game score better in financial literacy based on a national survey.

Dickinson High School economics teacher Dave Michaelson says it's a great tool:"It applies the stock market to the real world. We used to play a simulation game where we used stocks from previous market times or market periods. This one allows us to do that. The other thing is it's just so quick. When a kid enters a trade or a team enters a trade, they get a real quick response."