* Student Registration & Vendor selections begin:
* Teacher Class Creating Deadline - Create ASAP
Sponsored by FERKO Maryland Federal Credit Union
Sponsored by FERKO Maryland Federal Credit Union
Budget Challenge is only for Principles of Finance and Accounting
Good Place to START - Budget Challenge Teacher Overview
Teacher Overall BC Google Slides (For Teachers)
Important Student Registration Note:
Student Username should use the naming conventions outlined:
(School Initials) (Block) (First 2 initials last name) (Semester) (First 4 initials first Name)
Ex: FHS1McF19Norm
Create a class: PLEASE NAME YOUR CLASS CORRECTLY
FCPS / Teacher Last Name / School / Class & PD
FCPS Yoho BHS Intro1
All of the teachers listed on the spreadsheet have been activated for participation in Budget Challenge for the upcoming school year. The teachers highlighted will need to create Teacher accounts. Once that has been accomplished, they should notify the Help Desk and we will activate their accounts. Contact the HELP DESK - https://budgetchallenge.freshdesk.com/support/login
Teachers can follow the instructions below to create their classes:
Classes can be created for simulations the month before student registration begins.
Login (or if already logged in, log out and back in) and create your classes at Teacher Home>Create a Class.
Since you now have an approved quote the "Create a Class" button in the "Invoice the school" section of "Two ways to pay" is now active (Green). Click the "Create a Class" button located here to create your class(es) for which you will be invoiced.
SY 24 Teachers with Accounts
catherine.codd@fcps.org
lisa.shockey@fcps.org
timothy.brady@fcps.org
melanie.kalmar@fcps.org
steven.howard@fcps.org
deirdra.dewaal@fcps.org
vittorio.cresta@fcps.org
jonathan.churchill@fcps.org
raymond.stein@fcps.org
Contact the HELP DESK - https://budgetchallenge.freshdesk.com/support/login
“I am a teacher at Frederick County Public Schools and we have started a new semester and I am getting my students signed up for the simulation to start on ________. Can I please have an account for this challenge
Once the CTE Team Approves your account:
You will be able to create your classes. PLEASE READ and follow the steps below.
Classes can be created for simulations 6 months prior to the start date and must be created 1-week prior to the start date of the simulation.
Before creating your class(es) we recommend that you view the following videos before creating your class(es):
De-Identified Student Registration
Create your classes at Teacher Home>Create a Class.
Since you now have an approved quote the "Create a Class" button in the "Invoice the school" section of "Two ways to pay" is now active (Green). Click the "Create a Class" button located here to create your class(es) for which you will be invoiced.
Once you have created your class(es) you will receive an email that will contain the registration code that is to be given to your students to use when they register. Your class codes will be available at the top of Teacher Home and you can monitor student registration at Student Home>Registration. Student registration begins three weeks before the simulation starts.
Any students that register in classes being invoiced will bypass student payment during registration.
If you have time, watch this video for Top Two Tips for teachers for success in Budget Challenge.
We offer free webinars to new teachers to get off to a good start and to returning teachers for a refresher and to review updates. Go to the LearnMore page and scroll down to the bottom to request a webinar.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Vicki
Vicki Cavey, Manager,
Customer Service
513-335-0619, Ext. 405
We've finally released our newest version of the Bill Pay Companion App for iOS and Android. The app enables students to view their bills and pay them on the go. Now, students will be able to see when their bills are due, the total amount due, and the next invoice date in a single screen. Checks can be written or deleted right from the Bill Pay screen. Students will also be able to view dashboard alerts and checking account activity in the app.
Teachers can get in on the action too by using a Teacher Play account. Once your sim has started, you'll be able to use the app as a student and pay bills on the go as well. All Teacher tools from the previous version of the app have been integrated into the Teacher Home Dashboard.
The app is available now as an update to the Budget Challenge app on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
Curious to see where your class stands among the best in the nation? You can now view your class ranking based on overall avg class points scored on the National Class Ranking Leaderboard. This leaderboard is only available to registered users and only shows your class' team name. No school or teacher information is shared in this view.
Budget Challenge is a road test for personal finance. Students will have the opportunity to practice budgeting, cash flow, paying bills and managing money without real-world consequences in a competitive format. Budget Challenge is designed as a real-world simulation to initiate discussion and learning environments within your financial literacy course!
The videos below will provide a snapshot to Budget Challenge.
What is Budget Challenge? (students)
Budget Challenge - Learning that Lasts (teachers)
Sign up for Budget Challenge // FCPS Note
FCPS has been entered in Budget Challenge as PAID!
Teachers should NOT need an activation code!
Sign up for Budget Challenge // Teacher Home > Create a class:
Course / Class Name
FCPS / Teacher Last Name / School / Class
FCPS Yoho BHS Intro1
** Please note this is an important step, as we track data for FCPS classes and students participating in Budget Challenge!
Team Name - Use same as Course / Class Name!
The Starting Line provides a guiding framework for teachers from registration to the end of the simulation. We encourage new teachers to take the time to read this section in its entirety and use it as a reference during the Budget Challenge.
The Road Map is a one-stop shop of resources developed to be used along with the simulation week-by-week. The Road Map allows you to prepare in advance and gather all the necessary information just in time for successfully executing the program in your classroom. We encourage all teachers to take advantage of these materials, especially teachers new to the program or those with a stand-alone personal finance class.
Teacher Buckle Up
Student Buckle Up
Earn Free CEU for Teacher Play
After creating your Budget Challenge Class, teachers have the opportunity to preview the curriculum for Budget Challenge, including specifics for each unit.
Removal requests for Eligible Students must be received within four (4) weeks from the start of a Challenge semester (simulation). Eligible students will not be able to be removed from the Challenge after four (4) weeks have passed in a Challenge semester (simulation).
To request a student to be removed from your class, email the Help Desk with their username and email address, and the reason for the removal.
A student can be added to an existing class up to 4 weeks after the start of the simulation. After 4 weeks students cannot be added to a class.
Students should complete vendor selections ASAP.
**When a student joins the simulation already in progress any missed bills or paychecks do not get re-issued, they only get bills/paychecks moving forward from the date vendor selections were completed.
There are 2 adjustments made to late added accounts.
One is that their starting balance is reduced by the bills they missed (and won't have to pay), so they could even start with $0 in their checking account.
The other adjustment is that their starting 401(k) deposit is $2,850 instead of $3,000.
This is the equivalent of a 150 point penalty for being late on a bill.
Budget Challenge Sample Parent Letter
Accessible in Teacher Home you will find the Teacher Dashboard, a great tool for assessing your classes.