Money Smart Kid Essay Contest
In support of Money Smart Week® Indiana the Money Smart
Kid Essay Contest Committee and partner organizations are
once again sponsoring the Money Smart Kid Essay Contest for
students in Grades 6 through 8. This year’s Money Smart
Question (see below) should be answered with an essay of
500 words or less. The committee will select and interview
finalists by phone and the top three will be invited to attend the
Indiana Money Smart Week Kickoff Luncheon in Indianapolis,
Indiana on Friday, April 22, 2016. All three will receive a
CollegeChoice 529 account and one of them will be named
Indiana’s Money Smart Kid 2016. Parents and sponsoring
teachers are encouraged to attend the luncheon. Teachers will
also be awarded prizes as we celebrate and kickoff Money
Smart Week 2016.
2016 Money Smart Kid Essay Question
Your family faces a medical emergency – due to this
situation, your parent/guardian cannot work temporarily.
Your family does not have much savings and will need to
find ways to adjust spending.
1. Given these new circumstances, how can your family
adjust spending?
2. What actions might you take to assist your family in this
situation?
3. How can your family better prepare before something like
this happens in the future?
DEADLINE MIDNIGHT FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016
See the following pages for contest guidelines, information and
the application
THANK YOU TO OUR
2016 PRIZE SPONSORS
THANK YOU TO OUR
2016 MONEY SMART KID
ESSAY CONTEST COMMITTEE
ELAINE YEDNAK, CHAIR, M ARY RIGG
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
NAOMI BECHTOLD, PURDUE
EXTENSION—M ARION COUNTY
SHEILA M. BONDS
NATIONAL COALITION
OF 100 BLACK WOMEN
RYAN CHATTERTON, APPRISEN
M ARK FIDDLER, ZEIDERS ENTERPRISES
FIORELLA GAMBETTA, PNC BANK
DAVID HOSSICK, FIFTH THIRD BANK
JEFF SANSON, INDIANA COUNCIL FOR
ECONOMIC EDUCATION
JAN TOWNSEND, JOHN BONER
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS
BILL WOZNIAK, ISM COLLEGE
PLANNING
LUIS ZAPATA, 1ST SOURCE BANK
Money Smart Kid Essay Contest
GUIDELINES
Candidates Must
 Be a student in grades 6-8
 Have knowledge of money management skills appropriate for their age and grade level
 Demonstrate how they practice good money management skills in their daily lives
 Be able to “think on their feet”— responding to questions from business leaders and media
 Be articulate—able to speak in front of large groups and cameras and respond well to questions
 Live in Indiana
TO APPLY
 Student must be recommended by a teacher, adult leader or parent using the contest application (Note: official school
sponsorship is not required and home-schooled children can submit an application with parent permission only)
 Student must have parent or guardian permission to apply and participate
 Student must write an original essay (500 words or less) on the assigned topic
 Essays must be typed and double-spaced and should not include the student’s name, school or town
 The Money Smart Kid Application Form must be sent with the essay pages
 The essay must be the work of the student submitting the essay
 The application form must be signed by the teacher or adult leader and a parent/guardian except as noted above
 If done as a class assignment, teachers please submit your best 10 essays
 The essay and application should be scanned as a PDF and sent to indianamskid@gmail.com
 All essays become the property of the Money Smart Week Committee and may be used by committee members to
promote financial literacy
 All submissions must be received by Friday, March 11, 2016 at midnight
LOGISTICS OF CONTEST
 All essays will be read and scored by three members of the committee
 Once all essays have been scored the finalists will be selected
 All contestants will receive an email via the parent and teacher or adult leader stating whether or not they are a finalist
by March 23, 2016
 All finalists will be scheduled for an interview time for March 30, 2016 with the committee and will be provided with a
conference call number and time to call in for their interview
 All finalists will be called within 48 hours of their interview and informed if they are in the top 3
 The winner and runner ups will be announced and celebrated at the Money Smart Week Indiana Kickoff Luncheon on
Friday, April 22, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
 Parents and teachers or adult leaders should plan to attend the luncheon and celebrate with you
 Teachers will also be awarded prizes at the luncheon
ANY QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO INDIANAMSKID@GMAIL.COM
Go to moneysmartweek.org/ms_kids_contest to download the application and to access other
materials, including relevant lesson plans
Money Smart Kid Essay Contest
Money Smart Kid Essay Contest Application Due March 11,
2016
Fill out this form making sure to include all information requested, sign the form as indicated and
submit it as the cover sheet for the essay. All essays will be triple blind reviewed so essays should
not contain the student’s name, school name or location.
For more information, see
MoneySmartWeek.org or send questions to indianamskid@gmail.com
Student Name
Grade
Age
Home Address
Home City
Home State and Zip Code
School Name
School Address
School City, State and Zip
Code
Parent/Guardian Name
Parent/Guardian Email Address Parent Phone Number
Teacher/Adult Leader Name
This will be used to communicate with
students regarding their essays
Especially important if you don’t have
an email address
Teacher/Adult Leader Email
Teacher/Adult Leader Phone
Teachers/Leaders will also be notified
of essay status
Especially important if you don’t have
an email address
I vouch that the attached essay is solely the work of _______________________________________
(Print Student Name)
Teacher/Adult
Signature
Leader
Date
I vouch that the attached is solely the work of my child _____________________________________
(Print Student Name)
and I give permission for him/her to participate in the activities of Money Smart Week 2016, including
consent to release photos and personal information for media and promotional purposes.
Money Smart Kid Essay Contest
Parent/Guardian Signature
Date