WELCOME TO THE
CAL STATE EAST BAY SMS!
Sponsored by the Smith Center for Private Enterprise Studies.


A Project of the Center for Economic Education
School of Business & Economics

The California State University, East Bay Stock Market Simulation is a hands-on learning experience for high school and middle school students designed to promote interest in economics and current events. Student teams invest $100,000 in computer money and trade stocks and mutual funds over a ten week period. The teams with the largest portfolio values (based on real-world prices) receive awards and recognition at the end of the simulation. Two ten-week simulations take place each year. One begins the first Monday in October, and the other begins the last Monday in February.

Special thanks to the CFA Society of San Francisco for support for this project!

Pre-registration is requested. Call Mary Sue Kennedy @ 925 212 3419 or email sms@csueastbay.edu

Directions to campus and the music and business building are available on the CSU East Bay website:
Driving: Click Here
Music and Business Bldg.: Click Here

The Cal State East Bay Center for Economic Education has offered a stock market simulation continuously since 1978. We are proud of our extremely reliable trade processing system and our record of excellence in economic education. Our game currently offers these exciting features:

• REALISTIC PRICES: Internet trades receive 15 minute delayed prices.
  
• REALISTIC INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Students may trade mutual funds and preferred stocks as well as common stocks. Stocks earn dividends, and cash held earns interest.
  
• TEACHER-FRIENDLY: All teams may trade via Fax or Internet or both. Teachers may call toll-free numbers for answers to questions and for faxing in trades.
  
• TEACHER WORKSHOP: A free Saturday morning workshop is held for teachers before the spring simulation.
  
• STUDENT ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT AND LEARNING ENCOURAGED: To be eligible for prizes, students must actively participate in the stock market simulation, with the assistance of their teacher-advisor, and they have to create and maintain a diversified portfolio.

Teachers of grades 5-12 may enroll student teams. College teams, adult teams and individual students are welcome to participate also, but only student teams with a teacher-advisor are eligible for awards. Teams may play in one of three divisions: a high school division, a middle school division, and an adult division.

The simulation has been used successfully in a variety of subject areas including economics, math, history, government, business education, personal finance and computer education. It has also been used successfully in a variety of school settings including programs for the gifted and talented, special education programs, Advanced Placement economics classes, and alternative schools.

It's easy! Teachers divide their classes (or individual clubs) into teams, generally of 3-5 students. They may enroll teams via this web page. Prior to the beginning of the simulation, teachers receive team numbers and passwords.

Students decide which stocks or mutual funds they wish to trade based on their research or ideas. Students may trade via the web page, or teachers may fax their trades to a toll-free number. Team reports and rankings are updated daily on this web page.

There is a $15 per team fee for student teams with a teacher advisor, and a $20 per team fee for other teams. Teachers will receive an invoice during the first week of the simulation for the number of teams enrolled.

The philosophy of the Cal State University, East Bay Center for Economic Education is that all students who participate in the Stock Market Simulation are winners as they learn to apply economic decision making skills to the world of economics and investing.

Because some teams enjoy viewing the simulation as a competition, we recognize teams with the largest portfolio values in the following ways:

• The top three teams in the high school division and the top three teams in the middle school division will be mailed Amazon.com gift certificates. First place team members in each division will receive $25 gift certificates, second place team members will receive $20 gift certificates, and third place teams members will receive $15 gift certificates. (Maximum, five gift certificates per team.)
  
  
• The top five high school teams and the top five middle school teams and their teacher will be mailed Cal State East Bay Stock Market Simulation t-shirts. (T-shirts may also be purchased from the Center for Economic Education for $10 each.)

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Spring, 2009 top five teams in each division

The following phone numbers and email addresses are provided for teachers. We request that students ask questions to their teachers, and then teachers may contact us if they do not know the answers.

For general information about the simulation, about registering teams and obtaining team numbers and passwords, for information about the teacher workshop and for billing inquiries, please contact:

Mary Sue
Stock Market Simulation Coordinator
Phone: (925)212-3419
Email: sms@csueastbay.edu

Once teams are registered and playing the simulation, if there are questions about the value of portfolios, trades going through, prices, orders, or difficulties using the web page, teachers may contact:

SMS Help Desk
Phone: 1-866-SMS-DESK7 between a.m. and 3 p.m. Pacific Time
Fax: (888)275-0969

For suggestions, to sponsor our simulation, or for administrative questions please contact:

Jane S. Lopus. Ph.D.
Professor of Economics and Director, Center for Economic Education, Cal State East Bay
Phone: (510) 885-3140
Email: jane.lopus@csueastbay.edu