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STARS Program

What is STARS?

Invest Ed® STARS (Students Tracking and Researching the Stock Market) is a program of the Oklahoma Department of Securities that began in 2005 and, to date, has reached over 35,000 students. The STARS program is designed to enhance existing curriculum and promote the financial education of Oklahoma students.

The STARS program has been developed as an investor education and fraud awareness program. The STARS program teaches students to research investments, assess risk, set financial goals, create online stock portfolios, and track results.

STARS differs from other programs because the focus of the stock portfolio project is on long-term investing principles, not short term performance gains. Performance is assessed on what the student learns not the value of the portfolio at the end of the program. In addition, the student portfolio continues to be accessible to the student after leaving the classroom. Consequently, STARS provides students the opportunity to review their portfolios five or ten years later, giving them the ability to truly see the importance of long-term investing, the time value of money, and the compounding of interest.

Teachers

What is required to teach STARS?

Any teacher can teach the STARS program. Oklahoma teachers are eligible to receive an award for teaching the STARS program if certain requirements are met.

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Workshops

Trainings offered upon request.
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Interested in learning more?

Check out our FAQs.

1

What is the STARS program?

STARS is a hands-on investor education and fraud awareness education program. The STARS project teaches students to research investments, assess risk, set goals, and create and track online stock portfolios. The program is designed as a curriculum supplement and can be implemented in all subject matter areas or within student organizations.

2

Why is STARS relevant?

To have a better financial future, most Americans will need to participate in the financial markets. Time is essential when investing in the financial markets. Therefore we hope to provide a non-biased education resource to help with investing confidence.

3

How much does it cost?

The program is FREE. The Oklahoma Department of Securities offers free teacher training and support to the STARS teachers.

4

What makes the STARS program unique?

STARS focuses on long-term financial health by teaching students financial, investment, and fraud awareness in the program. The students learn how to research investments, assess risk, set investment goals, and create and track an online stock portfolio.

5

What support is provided for teachers who want to teach the program but have limited to no knowledge about the financial market?

TEACHERS ARE FACILITATORS. Teachers are not expected to be subject-matter experts. STARS provides free training for teachers that will enable the teacher to effectively facilitate the instruction of the STARS program.

6

What do I have to do to implement the STARS program in my classroom?

To implement the STARS program you must fully complete a STARS teacher training.

7

Who is eligible to receive STARS student awards?

Students in grades 9-12 who are participating in the STARS program at their high school or who sign up to learn from the STARS program director.

8

What benefits to teachers receive from the STARS program?

Teachers who meet the award requirements will receive a stipend for each timeframe they meet all requirements. Teachers will also receive access to all materials on the investedok.org site and have access to the STARS staff.

9

Can I teach STARS in any subject area?

Yes, STARS is a curriculum supplement that can be implemented in any subject area. Please contact the STARS staff if you have any additional questions.

10

Can I participate in the STARS program if I am not eligible to receive an award?

Yes, STARS staff will help guide you through the STARS program.

11

How much classroom time would you recommend for me to teach the STARS program?

The amount of class time utilized by this project is flexible. It varies from teacher to teacher and curriculum to curriculum. Each teacher is provided a timeframe, including due dates. In the beginning, teachers may spend a few class periods explaining the program, viewing a fraud video, showing students how to research, discussing risk and completing a risk assessment, and setting goals. Once the students create a portfolio, students may track portfolios both in class or out of class.

Meet the Director

Marquita Seifried
STARS Program Manager

Marquita Seifried became a trained STARS teacher in 2005 and became the Invest Ed® STARS program manager in July 2018. Her STARS students have been featured in the Better Investing’s Young Money Matters magazine for excelling in the area of investor education by using the STARS program. Marquita’s career began in 1990 teaching kindergarten and progressed to her becoming the Business and Information Technology Educator for Seiling Schools. Marquita was named Seiling High School Teacher of the Year in 2015. In 2016, she retired from the classroom where she taught high school special education students. Marquita also works as the part-time IT coordinator for the Seiling School district.

"Invest Ed® STARS is a program I believe in with all my heart. I know that teachers and students who participate benefit in so many ways. Teachers often do not know the impact of this program on their students until years down the road. Some of the students who have benefited the most in my classes were not ones who wrote winning reports, but those who learned the concepts taught and applied them to their daily lives." – Marquita

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