James Corsi, Gibault Catholic High School, Waterloo. Jim used The Stock Market Game program to infuse economics into his high school curriculum.  Through use of the SMG program, Jim developed an economics class for his high school based on the practical side of economic decision-making.  He fully integrates economics into American History classes, and has influenced faculty across the school to include economic issues in their teaching.  Using economic analysis skills, senior students last year conducted a study of services provided to older citizens in their community.  The students briefed the city council, their county commissioners and the public on their findings.  This study earned the school a Governor’s “Innovation in Government Award.” Receiving the school award is principal Russ Hart.

Deborah Wargo, Sterling Middle School, Peoria. Debra Wargo has probably set a record for participation in our Economics Poster Contest!  Debra has involved her students in this program for 25 years, helping hundreds of young people learn about scarcity, opportunity cost, goods and services, productive resources, specialization, and consumers and producers.  Debra has carried her enthusiasm for economics over to her co-workers, working with them in cross curricular activities and in team meetings to promote economic awareness for the students, staff members, and the community.  Debra hopes that through these activities students will learn to be good citizens, to take pride in their community, and to protect and save their environment.  

Shaun Waldron, Niles West High School, Skokie. Shaun's Economics classes are based on the premise that economics is everywhere. Students are constantly exposed to current events and expected to analyze their economic consequences.  Even items most students initially think of as irrelevant – such as cartoons from the funny pages, articles about the demise of the bee or Radiohead’s new ideas for marketing its music – reveal how economic maxims truly do show up everywhere, not just in the business section.  From visiting a pizza parlor to learn how the factors of production affect business decisions to drawing graphs on sidewalks with chalk, Shaun’s students get true hands-on learning that makes economics relevant and fun.

But, Shaun is a leader and innovator, not just for her students but students and teachers throughout the entire country.  Though her long-time involvement in Advanced Placement work, Shaun’s influence as a teacher extends far beyond her own classroom and has positively impacted teachers and students throughout the country. Receiving the award for the school is Scott Dahlberg, Director, Social Studies Department.

1st Place: Magdalene Kensek, St Cletus School, LaGrange. Maggie used a 3M Mini-Grant to develop a program for teaching economics in her fifth grade social studies curriculum.  The project, titled Historical motivation, is it God, gold or glory? helped her fifth grade students understand how exchange, production, distribution and consumption of goods and services were the driving force behind the discovery and exploration of North America.  The study showed how global economics played important roles in history as students studied the trade routes of Marco Polo, the Chinese , African, and Portugese explorers, leading to discovery of the Western Hemisphere. 

Honorable Mention: Ann Adams, Christopher Elementary School, Chicago. Ann’s curriculum unit, Economic Power for All Ages, supports economic literacy via the reading of fiction and nonfiction books, interactive use of Money Mats and indentifying money, as well as solving math problems with currency and coin sets.  The project was adapted to include general and special needs students.