2019 Winners Honored

An Elkton Elementary School teacher’s superhero-themed economics project took top honors at the annual economic education awards presentation for 2019. Winning teacher Lauren Shifflett received the $1000 grand prize in competition sponsored by SVEE in partnership with the Harrisonburg Rotary Club and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. In “Shifflett Superville: Soaring Together,” first graders learned basic economic concepts by building a city and its market institutions with a superhero theme.

The reserve grand prize went to Dawn Flora and Ann Minnick of Ottobine Elementary School. For their project, “You ‘Otter Pic’ These Entrepreneurs,” students teamed up across grade levels to produce personalized photos and frames with a school theme.

Other prizes awarded were:

• First place in the elementary grades, Janelle Hurst de Mazariegos
  of Smithland Elementary School for “Integrated Economics Mini-Unit,” in which kids learned about spending and saving from in-class activities and community presenters.
• Second place in the elementary grades, Autumn Pequignot and Tammy May of Lacey Spring Elementary School for
  “Functional Economics,” which spanned the grade levels with varied projects to bring community and school together in a celebration of graduation.
• First place in the secondary grades that include middle and high school, Callie Randolph of Skyline Middle School, for “Clothing Upcycled!” in which students made new articles of clothing from used materials while building independent living skills.
• Second place in the secondary grades, Katerini Carpenter of
  Thomas Harrison Middle School for “World Traveling Economist,”
  in which students learned about forms of economic organization around the world.
• Third place in the secondary grades, Brendon Derstine
  of Thomas Harrison Middle School, for the outdoor “Business Survival Game,” through which students learned about business cycles and business organization.

Also recognized separately were:

• Logan Stana of Plains Elementary School, statewide winner in mini-grant competition
• Bethany Everidge of Harrisonburg High School, nominee for Virginia Outstanding Economic Educator 2019
• Andrea Nolley of Smithland Elementary School, nominee for Virginia Outstanding Economic Educator 2019

At the end of the local presentation, state-level awards were announced. SVEE-area teachers did quite well, as Lauren Shifflett took first place statewide and Dawn Flora and Ann Minnick took second place statewide in lesson plan and project competition. Andrea Nolley was named Virginia Outstanding Economic Educator 2019. This strong state showing is a tribute to local teachers and what they accomplish with SVEE support.