Capitol Federal, a Topeka-based institution with more than 115 years of serving the financial needs of Kansas’ residents, has become the lead sponsor of the Kansas Personal Finance Challenge through a substantial contribution to the Kansas Council on Economic Education (KCEE).

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

The final stages of the Kansas Personal Finance Challenge will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn in Salina.

More than 412 teams from more than 96 high schools throughout the state will compete online.

The top 20 teams will be invited to the challenge finals in Salina.

The finals will begin with written exams testing the students’ knowledge of personal finance. The top performing teams will advance to a quiz bowl competition to determine the state champion.

“Capitol Federal is very pleased to have this opportunity to support the economic and financial literacy efforts of the Kansas Council on Economic Education,” said Tammy Dishman, executive director of the Capitol Federal Foundation. “The current economic and financial crises have demonstrated the critical need for such training.”

Jim Graham, president of the KCEE, said: “We are gratified to have an institution of Capitol Federal’s stature as the lead sponsor of this important event. We hope many people will be present to observe the competition.”

The mission of KCEE is to ensure that Kansas youth in grades K-12 are literate in personal finance and economics.