The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation today announced a partnership with J.P. Morgan to help students of all backgrounds better understand the dynamics of a global economy and improve their core academic skills.
J.P. Morgan employees will bring classroom learning to life for SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game students by visiting public schools in New York, Illinois, Indiana, and California. They will act as judges for InvestWrite, a national financial essay competition for students in grades 4 -12. The firm will also host school visits to its trading floor in New York City and offer the student visitors a career prep seminar on resume writing, presentation skills and teamwork.
Participating schools are those using SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game program, which enables students to experience the financial markets in the classroom as they learn math, economics, and social studies. Widely considered one of the best school supports for financial education, SMG has students team up to invest and manage a hypothetical $100,000 in stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Correlating to education standards in all 50 states, SMG reaches 750,000 students each year with lessons about financial, economic and world events, practice in online research, and an exploration of long-term saving and investing scenarios in SMG’s national essay competition, InvestWrite.
According to Melanie Mortimer, executive director, SIFMA Foundation, J.P. Morgan extends the benefits of the Stock Market Game program by introducing students to seasoned financial professionals and the inner workings of a company. “SIFMA Foundation’s partnership with J.P. Morgan delivers invaluable returns for our students, including learning directly from the experts about the global marketplace, witnessing first-hand how a company functions, and meeting role models,” she said. “We are grateful for the generosity of J.P. Morgan employee volunteers who contribute their time and talent to help advance students’ knowledge, skills and positive educational experiences.”
“It has been terrific to see so many employees get involved in helping students better understand the financial markets,” said Blythe Masters, head of Global Commodities at J.P. Morgan and Chair Emeritus of SIFMA. “The time we are spending with them is extremely rewarding and we’re proud to be partnering with SIFMA on such a valuable initiative.”
The events began in December with a trading floor visit and a school visit in New York City. Events continue in January when a class of eighth grade students from New York I.S. 131, located in Chinatown, will travel to the J.P. Morgan midtown Manhattan office for a tour of the trading floor and employee-led discussions.
Earlier this year Learning Point Associates, in conjunction with the FINRA Foundation for Investor Education, announced the results of a nationwide survey examining the impact of the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game. They found that Stock Market Game students scored considerably higher in math and investor knowledge compared with students who did not participate, and teachers’ financial behavior also changed for the better as a result of teaching The Stock Market Game.
