Special to the Enquirer
Crestline Elementary School third and fourth graders had outstanding success in the recent “Color the Concepts!” competition and the Alabama Stock Market Game.
Crestline Elementary School fourth-grader Raedyn Morris was named Alabama State Grand Champion in the “Color the Concepts” contest. Morris’ illustration earned her a $100 prize. Additionally, Morris was one of the top 10 winners in the fourth- to eighth-grade division, earning an additional $50. Another young artist from Crestline, third-grader Myken Draper, was recognized for his efforts with an honorable mention award.
At a ceremony held in Crestline, State Farm agent Michael Holifield of Hartselle presented the awards, recognizing the talented students for their achievements, and their teacher, Dr. Debbie Lee, was also presented with an Amazon e-card valued at $100 for her guidance and support.
The Color a Concept! contest, hosted by the Alabama Council on Economic Education (ACEE) and supported by State Farm, encourages students in grades K-8 across Alabama to creatively illustrate economic concepts. This year’s contest received more than 700 submissions. The top 10 illustrations were made into posters and distributed to schools across the state, highlighting the artistic talent of the students. Grand prize winners were selected based on the number of likes their illustrations received on ACEE’s Facebook page.
Crestline Elementary students also excelled in the Alabama Stock Market Game. The team, captained by Raedyn Morris and made up of Lane Morehead and Grayson Barrier, placed fourth out of 566 teams in the North Region. The Stock Market Game is an online simulation that teaches students about global capital markets, investing and personal finance.
Morris’ team competed against and even outperformed middle school teams to win an impressive $109,537.62. Students reflected on their experience, highlighting the valuable lessons they learned about stocks, investing and teamwork.
“I learned that stocks are just a small part of a company and that stocks can be good or bad – they either make you money or they don’t,” said Leila Baworek. Raja Doty said, “Investing is good because it teaches you about money and business, which are valuable life lessons. What I liked most was crunching the numbers and watching my investments grow.”
Grayson Barrier enjoyed “checking my plants every day and watching them grow”. Taron Way and Lucy Hulgan appreciated “working as a team and the challenge of picking winning plants”. Hannah Smallwood enjoyed “looking at plants, watching them for a while and picking the best ones”.
Through well-rounded and comprehensive teacher education programs and support, ACEE strives to develop an understanding of economics, personal finance and entrepreneurship that prepares students to become knowledgeable, responsible adults capable of making sound financial decisions.
For more information about ACEE programs and professional development, visit www.EconAlabama.org.
