OCA High School Students Trounce the Stock Market

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- If most investors could earn 1% per month on their investment portfolios they would be quite pleased. At OCA High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, that wouldn't have received even an honorable mention award.  

In the inaugural pilot "4t Nox Portfolio Management Contest," created by Thespis Media as a part of its Personal Financial Literacy Curriculum, Mrs. Becky Campbell entered the eventual two top teams. The winning team, Jordan Chappell and Brooke Farris, gained 5.74%, while the runner-up team - Levi Burkett, Garrett Duckworth, and Melad Samerinezhad - gained 4.34% from April 15th to May 13th (in comparison, the S&P 500 gained 1.37% over the same time period.) For their tremendous efforts and results, Miss Eva Franklin, Education Support Representative, awarded cash prizes to the school and class equaling $800.  

Brooks Levonitis, CEO of Thespis Media, stated, "We were very pleased with the efforts put forth by a number of teams in our first Portfolio Management Contest. The students and teachers did a terrific job in building diversified portfolios. As a company, our goal is to incentivize participants and partner with great teachers to help them get students involved in investment decision making as early as possible. It's not 'rocket science,' but the investment industry does have its own jargon, and the whole process can be intimidating for many people who have not been exposed to the field. Unfortunately, this intimidation can cause apathy or paralysis, neither one conducive to building long-term retirement portfolios. The sooner we can get students introduced to investing, the more likely they are to gain a certain level of comfort. Hopefully by the time they begin working full time they will realize how important it is to start allocating a certain percentage of their income toward building long-term investment accounts, and they will have the confidence to begin implementing a sound plan. Congratulations to Mrs. Campbell and her students. We are very appreciative of Mrs. Campbell's support for our Personal Finance Program, Life Finances, and our Portfolio Management Contest."  

The next "4t Nox Portfolio Management Contest" will begin in the fall semester. Thespis Media awards thousands of dollars each year through its various contests to schools, teachers and award winners. Every school which uses the Life Finances personal finance curriculum can enter all contests free of charge. Other schools are encouraged to participate and are charged a nominal administration fee of $5 per entry.  

According to Mr. Levonitis there are stock market games available, some free and others up to $10 per participant.  "We distinguish our contest by providing sound lessons for teachers to use with their students to teach asset allocation and diversification. We encourage the instruction of portfolio management versus stock trading and let students purchase ETFs/ETNs, mutual funds, bonds, and even CDs. Managing one's hard-earned resources is a rigorous process; it should not be seen as a game or gamble. All investors should take a personal inventory, understand their appetite for risk, set out investment objectives, and then build a portfolio based upon this pertinent information.  Otherwise they might as well just throw darts at the stock tables or bet black at the roulette tables. Additionally, we differentiate our contests by paying cash awards to winning schools, teachers, and teams. We believe teachers should be rewarded for their success as they spend additional time and expend energy on motivating their students to be active participants."

About Thespis Media

Thespis Media designs and develops training and educational curriculum using 21st-century technologies combined with effective, time-tested pedagogy. 4t Nox is the brand name for the company's education series. Life Finances is an award-winning personal finance curriculum that utilizes 3D animated video, 2.0 technologies, and a powerful standards-based database program. Life Finances engages students, empowers teachers, and provides the best value for school districts looking for efficient ways to deliver effective curriculum. For more information please contact the company via [email protected].  

Contact:

Dee Dee Mina
405 415 5761

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SOURCE Thespis Media