Release Date: April 23, 2015
Contact: Carol Danko, 202.962.7390, [email protected] 

SIFMA Foundation to Participate in Financial Literacy Day on the Hill
SIFMA Foundation’s Capitol  Hill Challenge Stock Market Game Connects Financial Readiness and Government Awareness for Over 15,000 Students from 742 U.S. Schools

Washington, DC, April 23, 2015 – Tomorrow, the SIFMA Foundation will participate in Financial Literacy Day on the Hill to showcase its efforts to provide financial education for young people of all backgrounds through innovative programs like the Capitol Hill Challenge, The Stock Market Game™, and InvestWrite®. The event will be held in conjunction with House Financial Literacy Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) and Steve Stivers (R-OH) at noon in the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill.

Each year, SIFMA hosts a 14-week Capitol Hill Challenge (CHC) that matches Members of Congress with students, teachers, and schools competing in The Stock Market Game™ in their respective district or state. This year 100% of Congress was matched with a local school. Student teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio and invest in real stocks, bonds, and mutual funds while learning the value of saving, investing, and the capital markets as they work together to maximize the return on their portfolios. The national top 10 teams will be recognized at an awards reception in Washington, D.C. this June.

“For over a decade, the Capitol Hill Challenge  Stock Market Game has helped students from around the country grow and learn about financial literacy,” said Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA president and CEO. “Our industry is committed to giving students the necessary tools to build a solid foundation of information regarding investing and saving, so they can one day achieve their financial goals. I’d like to give special thanks to lawmakers who are making personal visits to engage students on these important issues.”

This year almost 50 Members of Congress have scheduled in-district classroom visits to meet with their local teams, with one senator turning to the internet to schedule a virtual visit.

“We thank Congress for its second year of unanimous support of youth financial education through 100% participation in SIFMA Foundation’s Capitol Hill Challenge program,” said Melanie Mortimer, President of the SIFMA Foundation. “And we commend the personal commitment of those who visited their Capitol Hill Challenge students and teachers to bring learning to life.”

The competition uses the SIFMA Foundation’s curriculum-based Stock Market Game™, a program to help students develop a better understanding of the global economy, strengthen their personal financial skills and 21^st Century skills, and improve their knowledge of math, economics, and business. The program is proven to raise student scores on tests of mathematics, economics and financial knowledge. It is also proven to positively impact teachers’ personal financial behavior.

Since the Capitol Hill Challenge began in 2004, nearly 2,735 Members of Congress matches have been made to schools reaching more than 75,000 students. Middle and high school students from all 50 states are participating in this year’s competition.

To view the weekly updates in the rankings from this year’s participating schools, visit the SIFMA Foundation’s website: http://www.sifma.org/chc/.

Throughout the year, the SIFMA Foundation provides financial education for young people of all backgrounds through innovative programs promoting financial independence and real-world learning, such as InvestWrite, the Capitol Hill Challenge, and the Stock Market Game. Learn more here.