A new Stock Market Club at Mars Area Centennial School is offering students an introduction to the fundamentals of investing.

Club members meet before school every Tuesday to participate in The Stock Market Game, an online simulation of the global capital markets that engages students in the world of economics, investing and personal finance.

As part of the game, students are asked to invest a virtual $100,000 in stocks, bonds and mutual funds; then, to monitor and adjust their investment portfolios, as needed, says Brittnee Madigan, fifth grade teacher and club sponsor. The goal of the program is to preparing the students for financially independent futures through real-world practice.

The team of fifth-graders Ryan Babeo, Kendall Bruns and Maxwell Zagorski is ranked 15th out of 938 Pennsylvania teams, made up of students in grades 5-12, says Madigan, noting that the trio is the only elementary-level team in the Top 100. 

In addition to participating in The Stock Market Game, club members discuss various topics related to investing and the stock market. Topics include shares; stock-holders; ticker symbols; diversifying; private and public companies; and more. 

For more information, visit www.smgww.org.