Montana World Affairs Council Holds 4th Annual ‘EconoQuest’

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Montana high school students are becoming more financially literate thanks to a unique program from the Montana World Affairs Council entering its fourth year called ‘EconoQuest’.

I spoke with Bob Seidenschwarz with the Montana World Affairs Council about the program that is introducing students to a new world of business and economics.

Montana World Affairs Council Presents 4th Annual EconoQuest Competition

“The one part of our wonderful (Montana World Affairs Council) program series that's missing is economic literacy,” began Seidenschwarz. “So with the help of a number of people on the council, we came up with this idea called EconoQuest, which is to help our Montana students become more economically literate in terms of how the world connects to their homes and businesses here in Montana, and to make them more understanding of how this vast network of economic issues affects their daily lives.”

The competition, which is held at Montana State University in Bozeman, asks students to solve an economic challenge.

Students Must Solve a Certain Economic Challenge in the Competition

“Each of the students from their schools is given an economic challenge that they then have to research and come up with solutions for,” he said. “This may be a business idea, it may be a specific product, or it could be a resource type of question. But what this causes the students to have to do is a take a deep dive into the multitude of variances that exist within the economic complex.”

Seidenschwarz said numerous Consuls General from various countries participate in the competition.

Consuls General From Various Countries Act as Judges for the Event

“We've had several Consuls General coming from a number of different countries that come to Bozeman and act as judges for the event, and we provide a series of discussions with the Consuls General,” he said. “We also do outreach to the business community, which is a major supporter of the event, and participate in breakout sessions with the kids, so that they're talking to business leaders to understand what is involved in starting running and the challenges of being in business.”

Seidenschwarz celebrated the growth of the EconoQuest program and its effect on Montana’s young people.

“These kids come from their individual schools led by a teacher who chooses to participate and to prepare their students for that competition,” he said. “There's an awful lot of legwork that's entailed in making this program and helping it grow to where it is right now. I believe we're going to have over 120 kids participating this year.”

The Council also holds its annual World Quest at UM in Missoula in March, of which over 500 students from around the state participate, including several Native American schools, to become the country's largest participatory World Quest competition.

The EconoQuest competition will be held at MSU on October 28 and 29.