Illinois Personal Finance Challenge
2011 Results
National Personal Finance Challenge Results
Naperville Central High School takes second place in
National Personal Finance Challenge
The top 13 Personal Finance teams from across the nation competed to crown a National Personal Finance Challenge championship team on May 16 at the Wells Fargo Advisors Headquarters in St. Louis. The Illinois team from Naperville Central High School, coached by teacher Eleanor Barbino, excelled throughout the competition and earned Second Place, losing in the final quiz-bowl round to the team from Minnesota. The Illinois team had the highest scores of all competing teams in the three rounds of written tests.
"National Personal Finance Challenge, in only its 2nd year, has become extremely competitive", said Michael English President & CEO of the Missouri Council on Economic Education. "After three rounds of competition, only 105 points separated the team in 2nd place from the team in 8th place. Every student that participated demonstrated an extremely advanced mastery of personal finance concepts ranging from risk management to financial planning."
The National Personal Finance Challenge is underwritten by St. Louis-based Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and organized by the Missouri Council on Economic Education. Wells Fargo Advisors is the 2011 sponsor of Illinois Personal Finance Challenge, continuing sponsorship
that began in 2010.
The purpose of the competition is to recognize students in grades 9-12 who have demonstrated mastery in personal financial education. The event features Champion teams of four students from Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Each team traveled to St. Louis to test their knowledge in a four round competition on topics such as income, money management, budgeting, saving, investing, spending, and credit. The event concludes with a “quiz bowl” finale to determine the nation’s champion.
Members of the second-place Naperville Central High School team and their teacher-sponsor each received a $500 I-Series Savings Bond. The team received a school trophy.
Complete press release issued May 17, 2011
Go to the National Personal Finance Challenge 2011 Photo Album »
Illinois Results
State Championship
The 2011 online initial round of testing saw 535 students from 19 Illinois schools being tested. In the State Finals at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 80 students on 20 teams, from 15 schools in 13 cities participated in the testing and activities!
The first place team members and their teacher receive $500 Series I US Savings Bonds, medals and a school trophy. The second place team members and their teacher receive $250 Series I US Savings Bonds and medals.
First Place, Champion: Naperville Central High School. Eleanor Barbino, teacher. Team members: Max Gryziak, Alexander Hinch, Dennis Zhan, Michael Zhao. Shown at right with Gabe Martinez, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC and Joanne Dempsey, Econ Illinois President/ Executive Director.
Second Place, Reserve Champion: Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago. Joan Kane, teacher. Team members: Samuel Ghilardi, Billy Leung, Nicholas Mansfield, Angel Silva. Shown at right with Gabe Martinez, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC and Joanne Dempsey, Econ Illinois President/ Executive Director.
Go to the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge 2011 Photo Album »
Illinois Participants in FinanceChallenge ONLINE! 2011
Teams from the following schools competed online for the 2011 Illinois Personal Finance Challenge. An asterisk ( * ) indicates each team at that school participating in the state finals competition. Twenty teams participate in the state finals. All schools participating receive a certificate of recognition.
- Abingdon HS, Cindy Arthur, teacher
- * Astoria HS, Doug Banwart, teacher
- * * Bremen HS, Midlothian. Chad Augustine, teacher
- * Beecher City HS, Kristine Sayers, teacher
- Boylan Central Catholic HS, Rockford. Katherine Schmid, teacher
- * Community HS, West Chicago. Emily Jacobs, teacher
- * Downers Grove South HS, Patrick Fardy teacher
- * Grayslake North HS, LeeAnn Taylor, teacher
- * Harrisburg HS, Beth Lane, teacher
- Harrisburg HS, Christi McGee, teacher
- * La Salle Peru Twp HS, Scott Lauer, teacher
- * Marist HS, Chicago. Thomas Seputis, teacher
- * Naperville Central HS, Eleanor Barbino, teacher
- * * * Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville. Kevin Geers, teacher
- * Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Gloria Maloney, teacher
- ** ROE Alternative Program of Lake County, Zion. Lawrence Leck, teacher
- Theodore Roosevelt HS, Chicago. Mirsad Spahovic, teacher
- * Waubonsie Valley HS, Aurora. Angie Hysjulien, teacher
- * * Whitney M. Young Magnet HS, Chicago. Joan Kane, teacher
- Wilmington HS, Bethani Hincherick, teacher
Funding for Illinois Personal Finance Challenge 2011 is provided to Econ Illinois from Wells Fargo Advisors. In-kind support is provided by the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago and St. Louis.