The Kansas Council on Economic Education (KCEE) is encouraging Kansas middle and high school educators to showcase their students’ knowledge of economics and personal finance through two challenge programs this spring: the Economics Challenge and the Personal Finance Challenge.

The Economics Challenge – for high schools only – allows students to compete in two divisions, beginning or advanced, for the state titles. All knowledge levels are welcome.

The preliminary round of online testing begins Wednesday, March 17, and ends Wednesday, March 31. State competition follows Tuesday, April 13, in Emporia.

The Personal Finance Challenge – a program for middle and high schools – reinforces the importance of financial knowledge and skills, while giving students a chance to vie for prizes.

Online testing begins Wednesday, March 24, and ends Wednesday, April 7, for both the middle and high school divisions. State competition for qualifiers will be Wednesday, April 21, in Wichita.

“The Kansas Council on Economic Education is very pleased to conduct both the Kansas Personal Finance Challenge and the Kansas competition in the Economics Challenge,” said KCEE President Jim Graham. “These competitions provide an enjoyable way to test the students’ knowledge.”

Both programs are free to Kansas schools. Participating students will have the opportunity to compete with students from other schools in a fun and rewarding environment. If successful at the state level, students could earn the chance to travel for a national final in each program.

Registration is open, and teachers are encouraged to register multiple teams to maximize student involvement. Rules and registration can be found at www.kcee.wichita.edu.

The Economics Challenge and Personal Finance Challenge complement the organization’s guiding mission of educating students to deliver a positive impact on the state.

“The council’s mission is to ensure that Kansas’ youth are literate in personal finance and economics,” Graham said. “Such literacy leads to more knowledgeable consumers, wiser savers and investors, better employees and better citizens. The economic and financial crises have underscored the need for such education.”

KCEE is a nonprofit based in the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and is affiliated with all six Kansas state universities.