Purvis 5th graders place first in stock market competition

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Emma Chance, Ella Davis and Keeli Collins, fifth graders at Purvis Upper Elementary, were first place winners in the fall Region 6 elementary division of the Mississippi Stock Market Game Competition.

“We bought airlines, cruise lines and technology companies,” said Emma.

The game is put on by the Mississippi Council for Economic Education. It’s a simulation of a real market, where students get involved in finance and investing by learning about how a market economy works.

“We competed against 15 teams,” said Keeli. “We had to invest in different trades to earn more hypothetical money.”

As a team, the girls invested a hypothetical $100,000 and were able to earn a more than $7,000 return during the 13-week period.

Their teacher, Amy Rogers, said workshops like this help student learn what’s going on globally.

“It’s really good, because it teaches you to kind of follow the patterns of things that happen in the business world and how things, the climate of the nation, kind of effect the stock market,” Rogers said. “You don’t just pay attention to the stocks. You kind of pay attention to what’s going on in the world.”

When asked what their favorite part of the competition was, all three girls were in agreement.

“Beating the boys,” said Ella.

There will be a virtual awards ceremony later this year.

This was the first year teams could complete in the game from home.

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