Business at Hand: Market Madness brings together students from 15 local schools

Cincinnati, OH – More than 1200 area elementary students from fifteen schools representing diverse Cincinnati communities will put their entrepreneurial spirit into practice at the Market Madness event on Wednesday, May 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the University of Cincinnati Recreation Center. All students participate in the Economics Center’s Student Enterprise Program (StEP) – a program in which students learn personal financial skills as they design and operate their own school economy.

The Market Madness event allows individual school “economies” to come together for a market experience, including the trade of products and services produced in student-run school businesses. Elementary students in grades 3-6 will buy and sell their products, and tour the University of Cincinnati. Economics Center’s StEP program is currently serving 34 local schools, 16 of which are part of the Cincinnati Public School District. Students gain practical financial skills as classrooms are converted to small businesses and students hold jobs, save, and spend using school currency.

To get ready for this event, students have chosen a product to produce, interviewed for positions within their classroom business and determined the resources necessary to produce their product. Flower pot shops, jewelry stores, and science toys are just some of the business enterprises that will be showcased at the Market Madness event.

Since implementation in all 34 schools, Economics Center’s StEP program has improved attitudes, raised academic achievement of students in core academic curriculum, and improved attendance rates.

Watch a video of the 2009 Market Madness Event.

PHOTO & INTERVIEWS: Market Madness event at the University of Cincinnati’s Recreation Center on UC's main campus (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) is an excellent photo and journalistic opportunity as over 1200 local elementary students buy and sell at student-run businesses and tour the UC campus. Economics Center’s StEP program director, Dr. Val Krugh is available for interviews. Call 513-556-2986 for more information.