Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE)

Financial Literacy Month Finale 💰 | Virginia Economics Challenge Winners

As we wrap up Financial Literacy Month, we’re closing it out by celebrating students who are putting economic knowledge into action.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Virginia Economics Challenge.

🏆 Adam Smith Division
(Advanced placement, honors, and returning competitors)
1st Place: Economic Explorers
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Teacher: Nicole Kim

2nd Place: Menger
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Teacher: Malhaz Jibladze

3rd Place: RRHS
Rock Ridge High School
Teacher: Steven Mobley

🏆 David Ricardo Division
(First-time competitors or students newer to economics)
1st Place: Langley High
Langley High School
Teacher: Jennifer Stocks

2nd Place: IndyFinancePals
Independence High School
Teacher: Surmeet Chhabra

3rd Place: DR BEARS 2
Riverbend High School
Teacher: Mary Fehrens

Virginia’s top teams are now advancing to the national stage. After competing in the National Economics Challenge semi-finals, Economic Explorers and Langley High will represent Virginia at the National Finals in Atlanta, May 27–29, 2026.

Different starting points. Same outcome. Students building the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions for their future.

Learn more: https://vcee.org/programs/virginia-economics-virginia-personal-finance-challenges/

Financial Future Friday 💵 | Contest Time

We’ve made it to our final Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? challenge of Financial Literacy Month 💰

Let’s finish strong.

Money you earn from a job is called:
A. Credit
B. Income
C. Interest
D. Debt
Drop your answer in the comments ⬇️

🎉 This is a contest!
One winner will be randomly drawn from the correct answers on Tuesday, April 28th to receive a VCEE prize bundle.

Let’s see who ends the month with a win 👇

Wisdom Wednesday 🍎 | Celebrating Virginia’s Financial Future

Today’s Wisdom Wednesday is all about recognizing students who are putting their financial knowledge into action.

Congratulations to the outstanding teams and educators who competed in VCEE’s Virginia Personal Finance Challenge.

These students demonstrated strong skills in budgeting, saving, credit, investing, and real-world decision-making. That kind of knowledge creates confidence, opportunity, and lifelong impact.

🏆 State Winners
🥇 1st Place: TJHSST A
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology | Fairfax County Public Schools
🥈 2nd Place: IndyFinancePals
Independence High School | Loudoun County Public Schools
🥉 3rd Place: Mitoko8
Potomac High School | Prince William County Public Schools

🎓 University Center Regional Winners
⭐ George Mason University Center for Economic Education Center Region: TJHSST A
⭐ JMU Center for Economic Education Center Region: Team 3 | Harrisonburg High
⭐ UL Center Region: 1B | E.C. Glass High
⭐ UMW Center Region: Fin 1 | Riverbend High
⭐ UVA-W Center Region: Winners | Virginia High School
⭐ VCU Center for Economic Education Center Region: Tuckernomics | John Randolph Tucker High
⭐ VT Center Region: Rams 4 | Highland High

We also celebrate every student, teacher, and school that participated across the Commonwealth.

Perspective drives performance. Learn more: https://vcee.org/programs/virginia-economics-virginia-personal-finance-challenges/

Financial Future Friday 🚀 | Contest Time

Let’s see who’s got it 👀!!

Are you smarter than a fifth grader when it comes to money?
A budget helps you:
A. Spend money faster
B. Avoid paying bills
C. Plan how to use your money
D. Get free money

Drop your answer in the comments ⬇️

🎉 This is a contest!
One winner will be randomly drawn from correct answers on Tuesday, April 21st to receive a VCEE prize bundle.

Let’s see who gets it right👇!

Money Moves Monday 💵

Let’s bust a common money myth 👇

❌ Myth: Using a debit card helps you build credit

✅ Fact: Debit card purchases typically do not impact your credit score. Credit history is built by responsibly using credit accounts, like credit cards or loans, and making payments on time.

Understanding how credit works is a big step toward building strong financial habits.
Want to bring lessons like this into your classroom? Our Financial Foundations Conference covers real-world topics like credit, saving, and budgeting with ready-to-use resources for educators.
🔗 https://vcee.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/vcee/event.jsp?event=80&

🙋‍♀️Raise your hand in the comments if you thought debit cards built credit!

Wisdom Wednesday 🍎 | Leadership Perspective

“Financial literacy, to me, is freedom.”

That belief has guided our President & CEO from her early days in the classroom to leading VCEE today. Along the way, she’s seen what happens when students move from uncertainty to confidence… not because their circumstances change overnight, but because their understanding does.

She recalls moments when students realized their choices could shape their future, even breaking cycles that had impacted their families for generations. Those moments don’t just stay in the classroom. They ripple outward into families, communities, and futures that once felt out of reach.

That’s the power of experiential learning.

Through programs like Mini-Economy and The Stock Market Game™, students actively make decisions, take risks, solve problems, and see real consequences in a safe environment. And when that happens, something shifts.

Confidence grows.
Decisions improve.
Possibilities expand.

Perspective drives performance.

Want to hear more of Kate’s perspective on this work?
Take a few minutes to read her thoughts on our blog.

👉 https://vcee.org/financial-literacy-is-freedom-a-conversation-with-vcees-president-ceo/

George Mason University Center for Economic Education | VCU Center for Economic Education | JMU Center for Economic Education

Money Moves Monday 💵

Let’s start the week with a simple habit that makes a big difference.

Pay Yourself First.

Before you spend anything, set aside money for savings. Even a small amount adds up over time and helps build a cushion for emergencies and future goals.

A good rule of thumb is to work toward saving 10–20% of your income over time, depending on what works for you.

Start small. Stay consistent.

Want to bring lessons like this into your classroom? Our Financial Foundations Conference covers real-world topics like saving, budgeting, and planning for the future with ready-to-use resources for educators.

👉 https://vcee.org/workshops/

What is one savings goal you are working toward this year? ⬇️

Financial Future Friday 💵

We’re kicking off our first “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” 💰

Let’s start simple… or is it? 👀

Which of the following is a NEED (something you have to have, not just want)?
A. Video game console
B. Designer sneakers
C. Groceries
D. Movie tickets

Drop your answer below ⬇️
Winner gets a VCEE prize bundle and will be drawn and announced Tuesday, April 7th. 🎉

LEARN MORE about VCEE: https://vcee.org/workshops/

Wisdom Wednesday 🍎 | This is why we do what we do

Let’s talk about a full circle moment. Alexis B. was once a student at our Mini-Economy Market Day… learning, exploring, figuring things out.

Now? She’s a senior at James River High School, a VCEE intern, and planning to major in economics.

And she didn’t stop there. Alexis created short-form videos to make economics and personal finance easier for students to understand and even founded ACCESS TO ECON (A2E) to help other students get earlier exposure and mentorship. (Download her Econ Starter Kits here: https://simplebooklet.com/econstarterkits)

This is what happens when students are given experiential learning opportunities that actually connect to the real world.

It sticks. It shapes them. It changes their path.
Perspective drives performance.

🎥 Go check out what she’s been working on: https://www.youtube.com//videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1

💰 Financial Literacy Month is here! Welcome to Making Cents All April: Knowledge That Pays Off.

We’re kicking off Financial Literacy Month and we’re bringing something for you all month long.

Each week, we’ll be showing up on your feed with content that’s practical, engaging, and actually useful:

💵 Money Moves Monday
Quick, real-life money tips you can use right away

🍎 Wisdom Wednesday
Educator Excellence spotlights highlighting the impact of our experiential programs across Virginia (Look out for the first post later today!)

🚀 Financial Future Friday
Fun “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” quizzes with prizes

We’re talking real skills, real classrooms, and real impact.

Perspective drives performance.

Follow along, join the conversation, and let’s make April make cents.

JMU Center for Economic Education | George Mason University Center for Economic Education | VCU Center for Economic Education

🏁🏎️ Martinsville is in the fast lane this week!
With race weekend here and a Martinsville-built stock car recently setting a land-speed record of 253 mph, there is no better time to connect real-world economics to what students are seeing in their own community.

Martinsville Speedway generates about $170 million in annual economic activity, attracts nearly 350,000 visitors, and supports around 3,000 local jobs. Moments like this help students see how local industries, workforce skills, and community investment all work together to create economic opportunity.

📊 Quick Bellringer Idea (1–3 minutes)
Ask students to list three jobs or skills needed to build a record-setting race car.
Then discuss which of those skills Martinsville and the surrounding region do especially well and why that matters for local businesses and growth.

💡 Econ Concept Connection
Specialization and Comparative Advantage
When communities focus on what they do well, they create real economic value.

📚 Standards Connection
• How specialization supports trade and productivity
• How local industries influence economic growth and employment
• How public policy decisions can impact regional economic activity

📰 Read the article from Cardinal News and bring the real world into your classroom:
https://cardinalnews.org/2026/03/24/martinsville-missile-sets-a-new-land-speed-record-for-a-stock-car/

How would you use this in class? Tag a fellow educator who would love a quick, relevant activity.