A team from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts won the David Ricardo Division of the Arkansas Economics Challenge held April 8.
The team of seniors Alec Gatewood of Smackover and Bryson Austin of Little Rock and junior Pierce Hickey of Sherwood competed in a division named for the famous British economist. The division is for first-time competitors who have taken no more than one economics course.
The team participated in an exam during the virtual competition on April 8. The contest also included a writing submission based on a specific prompt that was submitted before the test as well as a digital art submission that visualized an economic concept or economics in action.
The team earned a $500 cash prize and the opportunity to compete in the National Semifinals of the National Economics Challenge. The competition will feature an online test that will be held by region in May. Teams advancing to the National Finals will participate in a critical thinking round and a virtual quiz bowl on May 22-24.
The state contest was cosponsored by the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics and Economics Arkansas. The national competition is sponsored by the Council for Economic Education.