The EU’s U.S. Educator Summit: Getting set for the 2024 Euro Challenge
In 2024, the European Union Educator Summit took place in New York City at the NYC Bar Association.
Over two days, 30 U.S. high school and state level educators from 15 states discussed the EU Euro Challenge competition and how to support their participants, specifically how to enrich their economics education and better understand the European Union. New states represented this year included Arkansas, South Carolina, Iowa, and Kansas.
The Summit began with opening remarks from EU Education Outreach Program Team Leader Sarah Elson-Rogers, and President of Working in Support of Education (W!se) David Anderson.
The list of speakers ranged from international bankers to professors. Ben Carliner, Senior Economist for the EU Delegation, presented on EU history , the Eurozone, and current EU economic trends. Campbell Andersen, Managing Director at BNP Paribas, spoke on his company’s long-standing partnership with the Euro Challenge, providing insights on how students can take advantage of the mentoring offered by BNP Paribas ahead of their presentations. To close, Bernard Smith, Chair of the Economics Department at Drew University, described the history of the EU and his personal experience living and working in an EU member state.
“What happens in the Eurozone matters,” said Bruce Kasman, Chief Economist at JPMorgan Chase and regular Euro Challenge judge. “How to think of the collective versus the individual member state interest within the context of monetary union is not yet resolved.” Food for thought for teachers as they support their students' presentations.
W!se staff Kristy Nyguyen and Alex Chen shared best practices for enriching students’ experience at the Euro Challenge. Social studies expert Kim O’Neil led a breakout session for district and state-level educators from Kansas, Iowa, Georgia, and Wisconsin.
Both the Summit and Euro Challenge competition are funded by the EU Delegation to the United States as part of its education outreach activities. These activities are designed to support increasing knowledge about the EU to students in the United States, and to build their skills and confidence to engage in international affairs.
The Euro Challenge is open to teams from all U.S. high schools. It puts students in the shoes of policy makers to present economic solutions to socio- and macroeconomic problems. 25 semi-final teams are sponsored to give their presentations in New York City to a panel of diplomats, economists, and academics. The finalist teams win a Victory Tour to Washington D.C.