Women have always worked, and yet their economic contributions are often undervalued. Dr. Claudia Goldin wanted to understand why. Her economic history research expands 200 years to provide an account of women’s participation in labor markets over time and describe the history of women’s continuing economic liberation. The 2023 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (in Memory of Alfred Nobel) was awarded to Dr. Claudia Goldin, for "for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes.” If women do not have the same opportunity to participate in the labour market, or ..read more

What is Econ Challenge: The National Economics Challenge (NEC) is the country’s only economics competition of its kind for 9-12th grade students. It tests micro and macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy. This motivating and fun team learning experience begins with competitions at the state level. The Arkansas competition will be hosted at the University of Central Arkansas College of Business on March 12, 2024. Creating Teams: Arkansas teachers can register up to two teams per category. Each team should consist of 3-4 students. There are two competition categories ..read more

What is Mock Trial: Mock Trial is a student competition where Arkansas students will take the roles of attorneys & witnesses to simulate a court case. Students learn rules of evidence, how to make compelling opening and closing arguments, how to question witnesses, and more, in this immersive role playing experience. Arkansas Mock Trial is sponsored annually by the Arkansas Bar Association. The competition will be held on March 1-2, 2024, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Top performing teams will meet at a state championship competition, where the winning team will represent Arkansas at the Natio ..read more

High school students can demonstrate their knowledge of personal finance and win prizes in this engaging competition hosted by Economics Arkansas and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Arkansas Teachers may register up to 2 teams of 3-4 students to participate. No advance qualifications or tests are required. Competition Format: Teachers of all registered teams will receive the 2024 case study on Monday, March 25 via email. Teams will collaborate and prepare a 6-minute PowerPoint presentation making suggestions based on the case study information. S ..read more

Taxes are required by law at the federal and state levels and tax rates vary greatly from state to state. Many individuals grumble about taxes, either that they are required to pay too much, what tax dollars are spent on are inefficient, or that the tax system is overly complex and complicated. Tax revenues are used to fund government programs we need or want. These contributions are collected in various ways that can include adding the tax to the cost of goods and services, employer deductions from your payroll check, and remissions to the state and federal government when you file your annua ..read more

Deciding on a career path is one of the most important financial decisions young adults make. Using this curriculum, students develop plans for achieving their personal career goals. Activities include career investigation, salary negotiations & interview strategies, and a flow chart project for short and long term career planning. In partnership with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics, Dr. Mike Casey, Professor of Finance at the University of Central Arkansas, developed a set curriculum units for teaching personal finance topics to Arkansas students based on the state’s person ..read more

The Delta Cultural Center is a museum and educational complex that tells the story of a land and its people, capturing what makes the Arkansas Delta region unique. It is the mission of the Delta Cultural Center to preserve, interpret and present the cultural heritage of this legendary 27-county area. It is the mission of the Delta Cultural Center to research, document, interpret and present the heritage of the people of the Arkansas Delta. This mission is carried out through activities in four areas: Interpretive exhibits, public presentations, educational programming and documentation. Stude ..read more

In one little town on the Arkansas Delta, Ernest Hemingway penned pages of his major work, A Farewell To Arms, at the family home of his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. Today students can explore the home & writing studio while learning about life in 1930s Arkansas. The Pfeiffer family moved to Piggott in 1913, shortly after Pauline graduated high school. She met her future husband, Hemingway while working as an editor for Vouge Paris. They later married. Pauline’s family were prominent in Northeast Arkansas and owned more than 60,000 acres of land. During the 1930s they converted their bar ..read more

You may be wondering how a house on a gravel road in the small town of Dyess, Arkansas (population 288) could be used as a learning tool. Dyess Colony was established in 1934 as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal program. The 16,000-acre colony was designed to resemble a wagon wheel. Today, students can explore the heart of the colony, that included the Administration Building, a grocery store, supply center, café, and repair shop. In 1935 the Cash family moved to house number 266. Johnny (originally J.R.) was only 3 years old. He graduated from Dyess High School and later returned to perform a con ..read more

How do individuals respond to financial crises? What role do financial institutions play? What can we learn from past financial events to make better choices in the future? The 2022 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (in Memory of Alfred Nobel) has been awarded to three economists; Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, & Philip H. Dybvig for their “research on banks and financial crises.” The Nobel Committee said of their work: This year’s laureates have significantly improved our understanding of the role of banks in the economy, particularly during financial crises. An importan ..read more