Mastering Money Basics is an annual competition designed to encourage students to use their reading, writing and artistic skills while learning about money, credit and finances. Each year, the directors of ACCESS establish a theme for students to write about. Our goal is to stimulate conversations between the class, the participants, the project coordinator and/or teacher.

See the backside of entry form for the theme.

Click for Entry Form & Rules for Contest

Under the guidance of a project coordinator, children work either individually or in teams to write and illustrate their own story. The creative process of working in teams helps provide a natural environment to practice editing, teamwork and the communication skills necessary for future success. All students involved get a sense of pride and accomplishment from submitting their story.

Three prize winning stories and five honorable mentions will be selected by our Board of Directors. The stories are evaluated on topic, content, compliance, artwork and educational value.

To get started, follow these steps to create interest and enthusiasm for the contest:

Introduce the Project
*     Explain the project to your students.
*     Discuss the topic and suggested ideas. Encourage creative ideas surrounding the topic.
*     Incorporate it as an activity to a unit on authors/illustrators or as part of a unit on teaching the elements of story writing.

Focus on Stories
*     Read books by a variety of authors and illustrators.
*     Explain or discuss stories that have a purpose, or teach a lesson, like Aesop's Fables.
*     Compare and contrast their different styles.
*     Introduce elements of story writing (plot, theme, characters).
*     Discuss different ways of illustrating a story.

Forming Teams
*     You may choose to invovle the whole class or break into smaller groups.
*     You may select which students are in each group or allow them to choose.
*     For the contest, students can work in groups of up to four.
*     Consider coordinating with other classes or teachers within your school.

Story Elements  – Use questions to get your students thinking about the elements of their story.
Who?         Who are the main characters in the story? Discuss possible characters and how to build them.
What?        What is going to happen in the story? What is the problem or purpose of the story? Why is this important?
Where?      In what setting does the story take place? At home, in a store, outside, or at school?
When?       When does the story take place? Present day, the future, the past, or a combination?
Why?         Why would the character do what he did? Was it important, needed, helpful or just for fun?
How?         How is the story built, is it a solution to a problem? Is it a conflict that is resolved?

Stories can be factual accounts from the student's life. They may also be fictional creations. We are hoping students use their imaginations and provide a truly entertaining yet educational story. The contest is open to all students grades 2-5. The target reader for the stories will be children ages 8-9 (third grade).

Click for Entry Form & Rules on Mastering Money Basics Contest

For the younger chikdren PreK to 1st we also have a fun way to participate in MMB.

Watch for the entry form, it's a great activity for your classrooms. COMING SOON.