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Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12) visited April 18 with Licking Heights High School students participating in the SIFMA Foundation’s Capitol Hill Challenge program, underwritten by the Charles Schwab Foundation. This national 14-week financial education competition pairs individual members of Congress with public schools in every congressional district, equipping middle and high school students to become financially capable and civics minded.

Rep. Balderson spoke with Licking Heights High School’s student teams who are spending the semester managing a hypothetical $100,000 investment portfolio of listed stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and impact investments, learning about saving, investing, and the global capital markets. The competition uses the SIFMA Foundation’s curriculum-based Stock Market Game, a financial education program that is proven to advance students’ performance on math and economics tests and improve students’ and teachers’ personal financial behavior.

"For more than a decade, the SIFMA Foundation’s Capitol Hill Challenge and Stock Market Game have helped students from around the country become financially capable," said Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA president and CEO. "Our industry is committed to helping students learn the importance of saving and investing, while also providing them a solid foundation to achieve their future financial goals. I’d like to give special thanks to lawmakers like Rep. Balderson who are connecting personally to engage students on these important issues."

"Since day one, Schwab has been committed to making investing and financial education accessible to everyone," said Jeff Brown, managing director for legislative and regulatory affairs at Charles Schwab. "Our support of the Capitol Hill Challenge is an extension of our commitment to advocating for more financial literacy programs and to giving people the education and tools they need to take control of their financial futures. We applaud Congress for its commitment to advancing students’ understanding of personal finance."

"Now more than ever, we understand the critical need to inform and prepare young people for their financial lives," said Melanie Mortimer, president of the SIFMA Foundation. "Through public-private collaborations like the Capitol Hill Challenge, the SIFMA Foundation is pleased to work with every U.S. Member of Congress and Charles Schwab to bring financial capability to public schools nationwide. We thank Congress for this commitment, and we commend leaders like Rep. Balderson who enhance the program’s impact by visiting their local schools."

Since the Capitol Hill Challenge began in 2004, the program has coordinated more than 7,000 matches of U.S. representatives and senators with schools, reaching more than 158,000 students. Middle and high school students from all 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia are participating in this year’s competition.

For more details and to view updates about this year’s program, visit the Capitol Hill Challenge website at www.stockmarketgame.org/capitol-hill-challenge.html.