2009 Economics Challenge State Finals

San Bernardino, CA – April 7, 2009 High school student teams from across the state will gather tomorrow on the California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) campus to compete in the statewide final round of the 2009 Economics Challenge, sponsored by the California Council on Economic Education (CCEE), Goldman Sachs Foundation, Council on Economic Education (CEE), and Citi Foundation. The ninth annual contest rewards mastery of key economic concepts in an exciting, academic decathlon-style contest.  Prizes include cash and U.S. savings bonds, and an all-expense paid trip to New York City for winners of regional teams, who will go on to New York City to compete in the national finals.

CCEE, a nonprofit organization supporting California K-12 teachers and students with curriculum and programs to improve economic and financial literacy, is sponsoring the contest in conjunction with the National Council on Economic Education and the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

“The students who have made it to the state finals of the Economics Challenge have demonstrated a keen grasp of both basic and advanced economic principles,”said Jim Charkins, executive director of CCEE. “With April being both National and California Financial Literacy Month, this exciting contest is a great way to bring awareness to a key issue affecting millions of Americans: lack of understanding of basic economic and financial principles.”

High school student teams qualified for the finals during the initial on-line round of the competition, held March 19 through April 2. Winners of the initial round who will participate in tomorrow’s state finals include: Mission San Jose High School (Fremont, CA); Homestead High School (Cupertino, CA); Glendora High School (Glendora, CA); Lincoln High School (Los Angeles, CA); Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, CA); Dos Pueblos High School (Goleta, CA); Monte Vista High School (Danville, CA); California Academy of Math and Science (Carson, CA); Mater Dei High School (Anaheim, CA); California High School (San Ramon, CA); Temple City High School (Temple City, CA); and The Harker School (San Jose, CA).

For more information about the contest, please contact Bernard Mauricia at (909) 537-5494 or visit www.ccee.org.

About the California Council on Economic Education
The California Council on Economic Education (CCEE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan consortium of education, business, and political and labor leaders dedicated to advancing economic literacy throughout California. The CCEE is affiliated with the National Council on Economic Education in a nationwide network of state Councils and local Centers for Economic Education delivering economics education programs and materials to K-12 teachers. Visit www.ccee.org for more information.

About the Citi Foundation
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through its two operating units, Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

About the Council on Economic Education
The CEE (www.ncee.net ) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving economic, financial, and entrepreneurship literacy. Both directly and through its unique nationwide network of State Councils and more than 200 university-based Centers for Economic Education, NCEE’s programs reach over 150,000 K-12 teachers and more than 15 million students each year.

About the Goldman Sachs Foundation
The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organization funded by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to promote excellence and innovation in education and to improve the academic performance and lifelong productivity of young people worldwide. It achieves this mission through a combination of strategic partnerships, grants, loans, private sector investments, and the deployment of professional talent from Goldman Sachs. Funded in 1999, the Foundation has awarded grants in excess of $94 million since its inception, providing opportunities for young people in more than 20 countries.