Hawai'i students learn to invest

Advertiser Staff

Some 125 to 150 teams from eight Hawai'i high schools and one elementary school are participating in this year's local stock-market simulation program.

This year, the emphasis is on building portfolios for the long term.

Part of a national effort, the statewide competition has been held each fall and spring for two years. More than 200 teams from O'ahu and Maui participated last semester, with each team being given an imaginary $100,000 to invest in stocks and bonds. They were limited to 60 buy or sell transactions.

Now in its third year, the format has changed. Instead of conducting the competition two times per year for 10 weeks each to fit into a high school semester, after some initial instruction, teachers will now have the option of continuing the competition for almost the entire school year — nearly seven months.

Teams will be given $1 million (yes, imaginary) and be limited to 25 transactions.

The extended competition will allow Hawai'i students to obtain a national ranking, as well as learn how to rebalance a portfolio — a difficult concept to convey in 10 weeks.

In addition to economics and math lessons, creative instructors have incorporated Web research skills, current events, social studies and writing assignments into the game.

Offered at the high-school level for the past four years, about 200,000 students in 17 states are participating in the 2002-'03 school year.