Junior Achievement Students Across the US Take on the Stock Market Challenge

May 25, 2023

Across the United States, Junior Achievement students are immersing themselves in the fast-paced world of Wall Street through the JA Stock Market Challenge. Offered free to schools, JA Stock Market Challenge simulates the New York Stock Exchange, with student teams investing in and trading stocks as if they were managing real accounts.

Classroom sessions before the big day introduce students to stocks, how stock trading works, and what impact current events have on stock market. After the event, students spend another lesson reflecting on the experience and developing their own financial goals. The challenge also includes self-guided extension activities that engage students in deeper learning about investing in general and the stock market in particular.

On the day of the challenge, each team begins with a play-money account balance, which they invest over a 60-day cycle, buying and selling a portfolio of stocks and watching values rise and fall. However, a “day” lasts only 60 seconds, which makes the challenge both frenetic and fun! The team with the highest rate of return wins the challenge, and each participant usually receives a cash prize. Some JA locations have even included virtual participants.

The challenge is offered at dozens and dozens of US locations . . . below is a sample from Junior Achievement of OKI Partners in Ohio.