At the final round of this year’s Euro Challenge competition, held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, five teams emerged as the winners. Students from Princeton High School, New Jersey, (1st place), Urbana High School, Maryland, (2nd place), High School for Math, Science & Engineering, New York, (3rd place), Naperville Central High School, Illinois, (4th place), and Trinity Preparatory School, Florida, (5th place) beat top teams from 20 other high schools on the final day of intense competition. The Euro Challenge is a unique and exciting educational opportunity for high school students from across the United States to learn about the European Union – the largest economic partner of the U.S. – and the 19 countries that share its single currency, the euro. Participants showcase their specific knowledge of countries in the euro area and make policy recommendations to rein in deficits and debt, reduce unemployment, or solve other challenges confronting these countries.
The winning teams will receive monetary awards provided by the Moody’s Foundation, along with a trip to Washington, D.C. for the top two teams.
“It was very impressive to watch today’s competition and see how engaged and knowledgeable these students are and what creative solutions they propose for some of our most urgent economic challenges,” said Ambassador David O’Sullivan, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States. “The competition has reached thousands of young Americans. It’s a great learning experience for these students as they go beyond the headlines of economic news to fully understand key economic concepts and the complex realities faced by policymakers. The Euro Challenge also helps them to have a better understanding of how deeply Europe and America are connected.
The Euro Challenge fosters a better understanding of the European economy and transatlantic economic relations, and it supports local learning objectives in economics and finance. Launched in 2005, the competition marks its tenth year as it continues to expand nationally. This year, more than one hundred high school teams from 15 states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin) plus the District of Columbia participated in the program. Preliminary regional competitions concluded at the end of March, with 25 schools advancing to the finals .
The Euro Challenge is a program launched and supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States, and is managed on the Delegation’s behalf by w!se (Working in Support of Education). The Federal Reserve Bank of New York serves as program advisor.
The Euro Challenge is supported by BNP Paribas, the University of North Carolina, Florida International University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Illinois, the University of Texas at Austin, Rutgers University, George Washington University, the DC World Affairs Council, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (Pittsburgh Branch), the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Detroit Branch, and Learning Economics and Finance Network, Inc. (LEAF).
