By Matthew Biddle
Registration is now open for the ninth annual MoneySKILL Mania competition, a free in-school financial literacy challenge sponsored by the University at Buffalo School of Management and M&T Bank that will take place during National Financial Literacy Month this April.
During MoneySKILL Mania, students compete in their classrooms by answering multiple-choice questions on such topics as income, budgeting, stocks and interest. The competition incorporates concepts that students learn through MoneySKILL, a free online personal finance course designed by Lewis Mandell, professor emeritus of finance in the UB School of Management, for the American Financial Services Association (AFSA) Education Foundation.
The registration deadline for this year’s competition is March 18. To register, teachers should contact
mg************@bu*****.edu
and provide their name and email address, the school’s name and mailing address, and the number of students participating (per class if playing with more than one class).
Benefits for students:
• A chance to win great prizes. The top-scoring student across all participating schools will win an iPad Air, while the second- and third-place students will each receive $250 for college savings. In addition, the highest scoring student at each participating school will win a $50 Amazon gift card.
• Lessons in vital money management skills. Research from the AFSA Education Foundation has consistently shown that young people have a poor understanding of personal finances. The MoneySKILL program and Mania competition are fun ways to learn basic, practical financial skills.
Benefits for teachers:
• A simple, free program with no extra work for you. Participating teachers will receive a MoneySKILL Mania presentation with questions for the competition and answer sheets for their students. Plus, for both the MoneySKILL program and Mania competition, the grading is done for you, and there’s no need for teachers to have additional expertise in financial issues.
• Flexibility with your curriculum and schedule. MoneySKILL Mania can be played any time from April 4-29, allowing flexibility with your lesson plans. Furthermore, modules from the MoneySKILL course make excellent at-home assignments, as students can access the web-based course from anywhere and advance through the self-administered lessons at their own pace.
• A chance to win your own prizes. Teachers for the top three students across all schools will win a $100 gift certificate to the UB Center for the Arts.
M&T Bank Corp. is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.
The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.
