The ASX Schools Sharemarket Game sponsored by Bond University has kicked-off again, with an estimated 40,000 high school students from around Australia expected to take part this year.
The game involves students in grades 7-12 trading $50,000 in hypothetical cash on the Australian sharemarket, buying and selling shares online with the aim of creating a healthy profit.
A prize pool of $25,000 is on offer for the students or student teams with the highest returns at the end of the eight-week competition.
As understanding the sharemarket is no easy feat, Bond University is helping students by offering a range of support services throughout the competition. Players have access to a dedicated Finance Tutor and receive weekly newsletters with hints and tips.
This year’s Finance Tutor is Adrian Gepp, who himself participated in the ASX Schools Sharemarket Game when he was in high school.
Mr Gepp is scheduled to visit Gold Coast high school St Hilda’s College to introduce their year 10 classes to the concepts behind the game.
“I plan to run a small trading simulation with pretend ‘Bond Money’ and chocolate. It teaches the students the basic concept of sharemarket trading - "buy low and sell high" – and also introduces them to the idea of determining market price and the bid/ask process.
“It’s great to see the enthusiasm of the students and the buzz that trading brings to them,” Mr Gepp said.