Taking the Challenge

More than 95 high school students took the challenge last spring – and all came out winners. These students, from 11 schools around the state competed in the Illinois Economics Challenge, a competition to test their economic understanding and reasoning abilities. Competing in teams of four, students took three written tests to determine the finalists for the awards round. The winners of the final round in each of two divisions went on to compete in the Midwest Economics Challenge.

The Spring 2004 winners in both the Adam Smith Division (for AP/Honors classes) and the David Ricardo Division (for one-semester economics/consumer economics classes) were from Willowbrook High School, with teacher Joy Joyce. Members of the Adam Smith winning team were: Brendan Brankin, Chris DeFalco, Matt Loar, and Kirby Pulikowski. Members of the David Ricardo winning team were: Leo Ayala, Eric Derr, Biljana Milojevic and Nick Trentadue.

Nancy Hanlon Harrison, Senior Vice President of ICEE, notes that “all of the students participating are winners – they all have learned important economic and personal finance concepts through this program that will help them throughout their lives.”

Dates for the 2005 Illinois and Midwest Challenges are already set. The 2005 Illinois Economics Challenge will be held Tuesday, April 5th at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Midwest Economics Challenge will be held Friday, April 22 in Chicago (location TBA). Watch for more information in the Winter edition of E-CONnections.