School stock market challenge provides students with real world skills

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Over 100 students from eight different local high schools competed in a simulated stock market challenge.

Students always seem to ask, “When will I ever use this outside of school?” Today they got their answer.

“Well you can only learn so much from reading a book,” Brockport High School business teacher Mark Mutton said.

Mutton knows that getting his students into real world activities will create lasting knowledge.

In this challenge, every “day” was represented by one minute and students had to buy, sell and trade stocks depending on updates in an newsletter.

“I think we did pretty good, not going to lie,” Gates Chili high school senior Jazalynn said.

Jazalynn said the activity was stressful but exciting as her group raced against other teams trying to come out on top.

“Regardless of where they end up today, they’re going to walk away with a better understanding of how to do what they were doing today, as far as the stock market is concerned,” Mutton said.

This activity even changed some students minds about what to do after high school.

”I wasn’t thinking about it before but it is pretty interesting,” Jazalynn said.

Even though this event was simulated, students will be able to take these skills into the real world.