Shenandoah Valley - Economic Eeducation Inc.

Local economic education award winners were recognized at the October 3, 2011 meeting of the Harrisonburg Rotary Club. The awards program is a joint effort of the Rotary Club, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, and SVEE. Below, from left, recognized winners were: Paul Yoder of Thomas Harrison Elementary School, Jeremy Aldrich of Stone Spring Elementary School, Maria Blair of Plains Elementary School, Susan Eckenrode of John Wayland Elementary School, Tammy Shearer of Plains Elementary School, Jennifer Wright of Waterman Elementary School, and Allen J. Ruliffson of John C. Myers Middle School. Bonnie Berry was also separately recognized for her Teacher of the Year award from GATE, the Global Association of Teachers of Economics (see below).

Bonnie Berry, who teaches kindergarten at Ottobine Elementary School, is this year’s elementary Teacher of the Year for GATE, the Global Association of Teachers of Economics.

Berry, a frequent winner of local and state competition, was nominated for the award by Lynne F. Stover of the JMU Center for Economic Education. “Bonnie has always done a great job of helping her kindergarteners understand economic principles,” Stover said. “I thought she would be a strong candidate for the GATE award.”

Berry will be recognized in Chicago at the October meeting of GATE, during the annual joint meeting of GATE, the Council for Economic Education and the National Association of Economic Educators.
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Allen J. Ruliffson has won the local economic education competition sponsored by the Harrisonburg Rotary Club and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. The winning project was “Getting Real with Economics.” Ruliffson’s project guided students through career choice, personal finance and economic decision-making on their way toward mastering the seventh grade civics and economics Standards of Learning. The prize carries a $1,000 cash award.  All the local winners are to be recognized at a meeting of the Rotary Club on October 3.

In this year’s competition, first prize in the primary division for grades K-2 went to Susan Eckenrode of John Wayland Elementary School for “Let’s Buy Our Valentine Candy.” For Eckenrode’s project, second graders learned about money and scarcity in visiting an in-class candy store.

First place in the intermediate division for grades 3-5 was won by Maria Blair and Tammy Shearer for “Building Communities Together – One Tree at a Time.” Blair is assistant principal at Plains Elementary School and Shearer is assistant principal at John C. Myers Elementary School. Their project united students from Plains and Myers in a comprehensive unit that culminated in a memorial tree planting.

This year, first place in the middle school division went to Jeremy Aldrich of Thomas Harrison Middle School for “Making a Difference Through Microlending: Real-World Economics Lessons for Foreign Language and Social Studies Classes.” Aldrich’s eighth grade French students learned about the power of entrepreneurship and microlending to improve lives through the project, which was focused on French-speaking African countries.

Second place in the middle school division was won by Paul Yoder of Thomas Harrison Middle School for his “Great Depression Game,” which showed seventh graders the impact of the Great Depression and the New Deal.

All of the local projects went to state competition sponsored by the Virginia Council on Economic Education. Economic education locally is supported by Shenandoah Valley Economic Education Inc., a nonprofit organization that combines business and school contributions to fund the field work of the James Madison University Center for Economic Education.

Can you answer these questions…

• Why does a $2.60 gallon of crude oil cost $3.20 at the pump?
• Why do grocery stores only make 2% or less of your total grocery bill?
• What are human, capital and natural resources?
• What are scarcity and opportunity cost?

Fortunately, because of Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, Inc. (SVEE) students can answer these and many other questions about money and business. This has an impact on your future… (more…)

The Harrisonburg Rotary Club recognized local economic education award winners at its October 4, 2010, meeting. The awards program is a joint effort of the Rotary Club, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, and SVEE. Below, from left, recognized winners were: Cathy Glick, Wilbur S. Pence Middle School; Heather Gigliotti and Therese Warner, McGaheysville Elementary School; Jennifer Wright, Waterman Elementary School; Bonnie Berry, Ottobine Elementary School; Jeremy Aldrich, Thomas Harrison Middle School; Tammy Shearer, Plains Elementary School; Greg Corder, Thomas Harrison Middle School; and Maria Blair, Plains Elementary School.

Economic Education Award winners 2010

Local winners in 2009 economic awards competition have been chosen by a panel of judges representing the Harrisonburg Rotary Club, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chambber of Commerce and Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, Inc. Here’s a video that shows the award winners and their accomplishments:

Three Rockingham County teachers have won three of the four first-place statewide awards in competition sponsored by the Virginia Council on Economic Education.

The awards were won by Barbara Palmer of Montevideo Middle School, Bonnie Berry of Ottobine Elementary School, and Allen J. Ruliffson of J. Frank Hillyard Middle School. (more…)

The Harrisonburg Rotary Club recognized local economic education award winners at a recent meeting. Economic education awards are a joint project locally of the Rotary Club, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, and SVEE. Below, from left, recognized winners were: Ron Ornstein, Skyline Middle School; Greg Corder, Thomas Harrison Middle School; Faith Hottle, Broadway High School; Callie Randolph, J. Frank Hillyard Middle School; Allen J. Ruliffson, J. Frank Hillyard Middle School; Therese Warner and Heather Gigliotti, McGahyesville Elementary School; Bonnie Berry, Ottobine Elementary School; Barbara Palmer, Montevideo Middle School; Tammy Shearer and Maria Blair, Plains Elementary School; Wayne Arbogast, J. Frank Hillyard Middle School.

Economic Education Award Winners 2009