Application Instructions and FAQ
Dear Academy Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the Magnetar Youth Investment Academy! The Magnetar Academy program teaches high school students in urban communities about financial literacy, investments, and the stock market.
The Magnetar Capital Foundation will sponsor up to 10 additional schools to implement the Magnetar Youth
Investment Academy (Magnetar Academy) during the Spring of 2014.
Launched in 2010, the Academy has reached more than 800 high school students in nearly 40 Chicago high schools to help young people lead financially successful lives – both today and in the future. The Academy offers:
 Comprehensive Personal Finance & Investments Curriculum (free to schools - curriculum costs
underwritten by the Magnetar Capital Foundation)
 College Scholarships for Students and Financial awards for Schools
 Exposure to the Stock Markets and Interaction with Finance and Career Professionals
 Teacher Stipends, Resources & Community
The program is in place in a variety of school sites – from nearly all the Selective Enrollment Schools, to many of Chicago’s Charter Schools, and a host of neighborhood schools. For a full list of the Magnetar Academy locations and more program details, visit our website at www.magnetaracademy.org.
Slots will be filled on a first-come basis. Key dates and deadlines are as follows:
 Friday, January 17 th – Deadline for applications for Spring cohort (or once slots are filled)
 Saturday, January 25 th – Half-Day Professional Development (stipend provided)
 Wednesday, February 12th – Instructor Cohort Dinner (downtown Chicago)
 March 1 st – City-Wide Simulated Stock Trading Day
To apply, click the link to the application at https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=7nK57CetjO7WeTaTh7w3gA
Magnetar Academy – Applications Instructions and FAQ 12/2013 1

Application Instructions and FAQ
The Magnetar Youth Investment Academy (Magnetar Academy) is a free financial literacy program developed for high school youth in urban communities. The Academy provides students with the education and exposure to become financially-literate, financially-healthy, smart and confident individuals. Through curriculum and experiential education, students actively engage in the financial world and ultimately build and manage their own mock stock portfolios.
Personal Finance & Investments Curriculum
Curriculum &
Support
Student
Competitions,
Scholarships &
Awards
 40 classroom hours of instruction aligned to Common Core Standards.
 Topics include: goals & planning; financial decision making; credit & debt, stocks & investing.
 Curriculum Materials: lesson plans, rubrics, unit assessments, teacher visuals, student handouts.
 Access to Guest Speakers in the finance and business community.
Teacher Support & Community
 Magnetar Instructors receive a stipend of $1400 for teaching the program.
 Professional Development prior to program launch.
 Online Instructor Portal for shared communication and peer support.
 Implementation Support throughout the program
 Instructor Buddy Program and hosted social events to encourage cohort community
City Wide Trading Day Challenge - This day-long event allows student teams to compete in a dynamic trading simulation experience. Each team will build and manage a mock stock portfolio over three trading cycles, working with a mentor from Magnetar Capital throughout the day. Student teams with the top three portfolios win cash prizes for their school. First place is $5,000.
Essay Competition - Students will be able to participate in a City-wide essay competition that demonstrates their financial knowledge. The winning student will receive a $5,000 scholarship.
Year-Long Stock Portfolio Competition - Upon completing the curriculum, students will build and submit their own $10,000 mock stock portfolio. At the end of one year, the student with the winning portfolio at each school will win a $1000 college scholarship.
• Chicago High School for
Agricultural Sciences
• Gary Comer Youth Center
• Hyde Park Academy
• Jones College Prep
• Kenwood Academy
• King College Prep
• Hancock High School
• Hubbard High School
• Lindblom Math & Science
Academy
• Noble Network of Charter Schools o Gary Comer College Prep o Golder College Prep o Johnson College Prep o Noble Street College Prep
•
• o Rauner College Prep
Perspectives Charter School
Urban Prep Academy
• Young Women’s Leadership
Charter
• Al Raby High School
• Paul Robeson High School
• School of Leadership – South Shore
• Social Justice High School
• South Shore International
• Spry Community Links
• Sullivan High School
• Uplift Community High School
• Wells High School
Magnetar Academy – Applications Instructions and FAQ 12/2013 2

Application Instructions and FAQ
How do we implement the program? What is needed from us?
Your school needs to identify an instructor to teach the curriculum, as well as an Administrative Champion.
We will stipend your instructor $1400. If you cannot find an instructor, Magnetar may be able to provide a freelancer to teach the program. You will need to recruit the students.
How many students should there be in a cohort? What grade levels are appropriate?
We recommend a cohort size of between 10 and 20 students, with a minimum class size of 10 students. The program is most appropriate for 10-12 th graders, however, some schools are utilizing the program with 9 th graders.
How long is the program?
The Academy curriculum includes lesson plans that cover up to 40 hours of classroom time. Your school can determine whether to implement the program in one semester or throughout the school year, depending on how many times per week you teach the class.
The lesson plans are roughly 90 minutes each. They can easily be broken up into two 45-minute sessions. The program is flexible enough to fit into your existing course/enrichment structures.
Can I teach this as a part of an existing class during the school day?
Yes.
What are the teacher qualifications?
We recommend that instructors have some finance, business, math, or economics background. Teachers should be comfortable with their classroom management skills and small group instructional methods. Firstyear teachers are discouraged from applying.
Is there a stipend for the training? If I can’t attend the PD, should I still apply?
Yes. We will schedule a web-based make-up session for those who cannot attend the PD. The make-up session is unpaid.
Can our school have multiple sections and/or multiple instructors of the program?
Yes! Some of our schools have had as many as four sections running concurrently. If you have multiple teachers that want to implement the program, and multiple groups of students, each instructor that runs their own cohort will receive a stipend.
Some instructors decide to co-teach the program. In the case of co-teaching (multiple instructors teaching the same group of students), the instructors will split the stipend. In cases where multiple sessions are offered, one $1000 college scholarship will be offered per school.
What if I have more questions?
Contact us at apply@magnetaracademy.org
.
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