SIFMA and the SIFMA Foundation today congratulate all the participants of the 18th Annual Capitol Hill Challenge™ national financial education program, generously underwritten by Charles Schwab Foundation, and announce the 10 teams who rose to the top of this rigorous investment competition. Student teams representing public middle and high schools in every US congressional district were invited to show their investing prowess by managing high-performing, diversified portfolios. Remarkably, despite continued school disruptions this year, more than 10,000 students and their teachers persevered to finish the Challenge, demonstrating incredible commitment and achieving impressive results. Dynamic market conditions made for an exciting competition.

“Congratulations to all participants of the 2021 Capitol Hill Challenge,” said Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA President and CEO. “For nearly two decades, the SIFMA Foundation’s Capitol Hill Challenge and Stock Market Game have helped young people from around the country become financially capable. Our industry is committed to helping youth learn the importance of saving and investing, while providing them a solid foundation to achieve their future financial goals. SIFMA also commends the Members of Congress who have visited their local schools virtually and engaged with students on financial education.”

This 14-week competition engages public middle and high school students in every congressional district to teach the importance of saving and investing, while promoting a better understanding of our government and fiscal policymaking. Teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ESG investments, and cash. They gain a deeper understanding of personal finance and economics and learn the value of the capital markets as they work together to diversify across asset classes and maximize the return on their portfolios.

Since its inception in 2004, CHC has made over 6,500 matches of US Senators and Representatives with schools, reaching nearly 143,000 students across the country. Public middle and high school students from all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, participated in this year’s Challenge.

“Many teens do not receive the financial education they need to successfully manage their money, and programs like the Capitol Hill Challenge can help advance middle and high school students’ understanding of personal finance and the capital markets,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, President, Charles Schwab Foundation. “Our commitment to this program and SIFMA Foundation stems from our belief in the power of financial education to enable people to achieve long-term financial success.”

“Through public-private collaborations like the Capitol Hill Challenge, the SIFMA Foundation, every US Member of Congress, and Charles Schwab are delivering financial capability to public schools nationwide,” said Melanie Mortimer, President of the SIFMA Foundation. “Together we are ensuring young people across America experience the capital markets and gain insights that lead to long-term success.”

The Capitol Hill Challenge uses the SIFMA Foundation’s curriculum-based Stock Market GameTM program, which features an online investment simulation of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ESG

investments to equip students with a better understanding of the global capital markets and economic trends. It is proven to advance students’ performance on math and economic tests and improves students’ and teachers’ personal financial behavior.

Founded in 1977 by academics at Buffalo State, The Stock Market Game has since expanded through a national network of educational nonprofit organizations to reach more than 20 million students. An independent study by Learning Point Associates found that students who participated in The Stock Market Game scored significantly higher on mathematics and financial literacy tests than their peers who did not participate. They also found that teachers who taught The Stock Market Game reported that the program motivated them to better plan for their own financial futures. The Stock Market Game has been named the only program that successfully increased scores on the Jumpstart Coalition’s test of high school students’ financial literacy.

The Capitol Hill Challenge is just one component of the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game, which operates in all 50 states. The program has significant benefits including professional development opportunities for teachers, teamwork and confidence building for students, and reinforcement of students’ technology and online research skills.

2021 Capitol Hill Challenge – Top 10 Schools:

1. Atlanta High School, TX-4, Pat Fallon

2. Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, CT-4, Jim Himes

3. Lakeside Junior High School, AR-3, Steve Womack

4. Horton Middle School, NC-4, David Price

5. Philip W. Sugg Middle School, ME-2, Jared Golden

6. Muldrow High School, OK-2, Markwayne Mullin

7. Forest Hills High School, NY-6, Grace Meng

8. Worcester Technical High School, MA-2, Jim McGovern

9. Snowden International School at Copley, MA-7, Ayanna Pressley

10. Martins Mill High School, TX-Senator, Ted Cruz

To learn more about the program, visit https://www.stockmarketgame.org/capitol-hill-challenge.html.