Students compete and win at Junior Achievement’s 20th annual Stock Market Challenge

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM) celebrated the success of its 20th Annual Stock Market Challenge, held on Tuesday, November 18, at its new home at Western New England University. The milestone event brought together hundreds of students, local sponsors and volunteers for an exciting day of hands-on financial education and friendly competition.

More than 375 middle and high school students from 16 schools across the region participated in the fast-paced Wall Street simulation, testing their teamwork and decision-making skills as they raced to build the highest portfolio value. Each team started with a virtual $1 million to invest in more than 50 fictitious stocks, with trading “days” lasting just 60 seconds.

By the final bell, Putnam Vocational Technical Academy's “Hearts Sold Separately” claimed first place in the student competition, with the “Four Mustkateers, “ also from Putnam Vocational Technical Academy and “3 HRHS Broker Bros” from Hampshire Regional High School close behind. The adult evening session saw the team from MassMutual take the top spot in the corporate challenge and a team from Western New England University lead the collegiate group. Other runners up included Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, Country Bank and Florence Bank.

“This year’s event was especially meaningful as we celebrated 20 years of empowering students to learn about investing and financial literacy in such a fun, engaging way,” said Amie Miarecki, JAWM president. “Seeing the excitement on students’ faces as they strategized, collaborated and competed reminds us why this event is so impactful.”

The Stock Market Challenge would not be possible without the support of generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers. This year’s presenting sponsor was St. Germain Investment Management, with NBT Bank, Holyoke Credit Union, Country Bank, Health New England and Western New England University serving as gold sponsors. Additional sponsors included Elms College, Balise Motor Sales, and Westfield Gas and Electric among others.

Since its founding, the event has introduced thousands of students to the fundamentals of investing, financial decision-making and teamwork, while also building awareness of career opportunities in finance and business.