A team of four Martin Luther King High School students led by Social Studies teacher, Laurence Sherzer, won first place in both the regional and district-wide Stock Market Game, a competition for twelfth graders sponsored by Merrill Lynch.

A luncheon ceremony to honor the Stock Market Game winners from King High School will be held at 12:00pm on Friday, May 26, 2006 at the Union League of Philadelphia, 140 S. Broad Street (Broad and Sansom Streets).

Mayor John Street, School District of Philadelphia CEO Paul Vallas and executives from Merrill Lynch will host Mr. Sherzer and his top four "student investors." The four students (all females)—Letitia Perez-Staten; Jocelyn Proctor; Denise Smiley; and Corrin Baylis will be awarded a plaque and a $100 Savings Bond.

The Stock Market Game entitled Investing Pays Off (IPO) is an initiative designed to teach 11th and 12th grade students about economic and financial literacy concepts. The goal of the Stock Market Game is to assemble the top-performing portfolio using a virtual cash account of $100,000.

The classroom centered activity mirrors the real market place through the use of real Internet research tools, news updates and a live trading simulation to evaluate and select stocks.

Sherzer says, "Students who participate in The Stock Market Game Program learn more than investing. As they progress through the competition, they learn core academic concepts and skills that can help them succeed in the classroom�\and in life." The students work together in teams, practicing leadership, organization, negotiation, and cooperation as they compete for the top spot," he added.

Greg Hailey, Acting Campus Director at King stated, "The game is a remarkable experience because the students get to see how their hard work literally pays off." To build a portfolio, students research and evaluate stocks, and make decisions based on what they've learned. To determine why certain stocks perform the way they do, or why the broader market has moved up or down, they need to understand how the economy works. And to calculate their returns, they need to do the math. Since 1977, more than 8 million students have participated in The Stock Market Game Program, and more classrooms sign on every year. Today, the program is available in all 50 states and worldwide.