Submitted by Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205.



Elmhurst, IL — York Community High School's Capitol Hill Challenge (CHC) Stock Market Team, representing Senator Mark Kirk, finished 9th in the country last month out of 4,288 teams and qualified for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, from June 14th-16th. From February 1 to May 6, juniors Gina Santucci and Rachel Doyle made the investing decisions that led to this honor and thus represented York on the trip.

The Capitol Hill Challenge, sponsored by the SIFMA Foundation, matches Members of Congress with students, teachers, and schools competing in The Stock Market Game™ in their respective district or state. Student teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio and invest in real stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Since its inception in 2004, CHC has made over 3,272 matches of U.S. Representatives and Senators with schools, encompassing more than 90,000 students across the country.

CHC partners up to 10 junior high or high school teams (3-5 students each) with the school's local Member of Congress (MOC). Students may only participate on one team. The school must be located in the MOC's district with matching zip code. Only two schools per MOC can participate. Students taking part in a separate Stock Market Game can also take part in CHC. The top 10 CHC teams win a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet their Member of Congress and be recognized at an awards reception on Capitol Hill. During their visit, students and teachers will meet with business, government, and education leaders to learn about fiscal policy making, the role of the capital markets, and global economic trends. The winners also had the opportunity to tour financial landmarks and national monuments. This was the 13th annual Capitol Hill Challenge.

"This year 100% of Congress was matched with a local school and SIFMA gives special recognition to the over 60 members of Congress who took the time to visit the student teams at the school, hear about their investing strategy and discuss the role of government in our capital markets," said Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA president and CEO.

Unfortunately, while in Washington, Gina and Rachel, along with their coach, York Business Department chair Jim Borel, were unable to meet with Senator Kirk, who had this to say about their accomplishment: