Staples Wins New York Fed Competition with Paper on “Metaverse Virtualization as a Solution for Climate Change”
NY Fed Press Release:The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today announced the results of this year’s High School Fed Challenge, an academic paper competition in which student teams researched and analyzed an economic theme, then wrote podcast scripts reflecting their research. The selected podcast scripts will be published in this year’s issue of the Journal of Future Economists, which will publish this summer.
The theme of this year’s competition was the economics of climate change. The schools and podcast scripts that will be included in the journal are as follows, listed by school name, in alphabetical order:
Chaminade High School of Mineola, NY; The Drowning Effect of Climate Change: Real Estate Prices and Mortgage Volume Plummet as Sea Levels Rise
Cliffside Park High School of Cliffside Park, NJ; The True Cost of Tourism
Eleanor Roosevelt High School of New York, NY; Eek!onomics: The Economy is Melting!
Glen Rock High School of Glen Rock, NJ; Spilling the Beans About Coffee: A Forecast of the Effects of Climate Change on the Coffee Industry
Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics of New York, NY; Climate Change: A Threat to Poor Communities' Economic Equality
Horace Greeley High School of Chappaqua, NY; Fishy Business: Climate Risks to the Agriculture and Fishing Industries
Kearny High School of Kearny, NJ; Money Talks Podcast
Niskayuna High School of Niskayuna, NY; Climate Change Has an Effect So Real, You Can Taste It: The Impact of Climate Change on Small Businesses Within the Apple, Maple Syrup, and Tomato Industries
Shelton High School of Shelton, CT; Making It Rain: How A Green Future and Healthy Economy Can Coexist
Staples High School of Westport, CT; Metaverse Virtualization as a Solution for Climate Change
Stuyvesant High School of New York, NY; Green Investment and its Impact on Climate Change
Syosset High School of Syosset, NY; Overcoming the Challenges of “Greenwashing” to Promote a Sustainable Economy
Vestal High School of Vestal, NY; Crypto's Climate Crisis
Walt Whitman High School of Huntington Station, NY; Climate Conversations: A Discussion on the Circular Economy
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North of Plainsboro Township, NJ; Geekonomics: The Federal Reserve System and Climate Change
“The mixture of rigorous scholarship and creativity we saw in this year’s submissions deeply impressed the educators and professional economists who reviewed the entries,” said Heather Daly, director of economic education at the New York Fed. “The selected teams all demonstrated an ability to ask important questions, research those questions collaboratively, and present their findings in a lively and engaging manner.”
The High School Fed Challenge aims to encourage students in ninth to twelfth grade to learn more about economics and promote economics as a subject for study and a career possibility. Students are not required to have studied economics to participate.
From 1995 to 2020, the High School Fed Challenge was conducted as a competition in which teams played the role of monetary policymakers by analyzing economic conditions and making a policy recommendation. Teams traveled to the New York Fed in lower Manhattan for three rounds of elimination competition, each of which was judged by New York Fed employees.
The New York Fed changed the High School Fed Challenge to an academic paper competition in 2021 to encourage broader participation. The theme for each year’s competition is announced in September.
In addition to hosting the High School Fed Challenge, the New York Fed’s economic education team has a host of free resources for educators. The team has drafted worksheets and lesson plans on the flow of money, redlining, and the economic impact of COVID-19; a series of comic books on the economy, available in English and Spanish; and a series of interactive worksheets spotlighting pathbreaking economists. The New York Fed also conducts classroom visits and professional development training for teachers and hosts the College Fed Challenge in the fall.
“We want students to know that economics is open to them as both a field of study and a possible career,” Ms. Daly said. “We see this competition and our other resources as a way to swing open the doors to this important field that impacts their own lives and communities every day.”
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 26; State Positivity Rate, Hospitalizations Up
The State Department of Public Health reported 26 more cases in Westport over the past day. The State’s daily test positivity rate was up to 13.41% while hospitalizations were up 30 patients, with 361 patients currently hospitalized for COVID-19 throughout the State.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 4,810 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 36 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 13.41% [up from 13.05%]
State Hospitalizations: 331 patients [+30]
Westport PD Responds To Medical Call At Dog Festival
The start of the very popular Police K9 demonstration was interrupted at the last minute when Westport Police K9 Officer Jimmy Loomer was called to respond to a medical issue with one of the festival visitors. The issue was not serious and may have just been a little dehydration possibly as a result of the very warm afternoon temps. Westport Police Corporal Brendan Fearon assisted Officer Loomer.
Photo by J.C. Martin for WestportLocal.com
Westport Dog Festival Celebrates All Things Canine
One of The Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce premier events drew well over 2,000 humans and more than 800 dogs of every shape, size and pedigree (or not) to Winslow Park on Sunday. Sketchy weather in the morning caused some concern however the clouds and gloom turned to sunny skies which was very welcome considering weather issues in the past have caused postponements. Visitors had much to see and enjoy with over 60 vendors offering all things on the contemporary dog's wish (or must have) list. Multiple adoption and animal rescue organizations including Adopt-A-Dog, Lucky Dog Rescue and SNARR helped match potential dog adopters with their new best friends.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The various contest winners included Best Dressed- Zsa Zsa, Best Barker- Odin, Best Kisser- Peppa and Best Lap Dog (really?) over 50 pounds was won by a 90 pound retriever named Tucker. Double honors went to Frankie who was chosen Best Tail Wagger and also Best Trick.
The Dog Lovers Days Lure Course returned to the festival again this year offering dogs, and sometimes their owners a chance to catch a lure which runs at high speed on a wire which most dogs find irresistible and which runs through a path with obstacles the competitors must navigate. The winner with the best time was Zelo who was rewarded for his efforts with a year's supply of dog food.
Felines were not forgotten. T.A.I.L.S., The Alliance In Limiting Strays (tailsct.org) the Westport based Cat Rescue organization also had a strong presence. One of the NY metro area's premier rescue operations, the North Shore Animal League, based in Long Island, NY provided their Mobile Unit, a custom built extended van which holds two dozen or more cats to TAILS to help in their mission to adopt the many stray cats and kittens found in our area and which they currently have housed with their group of volunteers. North Shore helps support TAILS by generously providing this vehicle at no charge to TAILS for the festival as well as their monthly adoption events held each month at Petco, Post Road Westport.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
