Lincoln Park High School Wins the 5th Annual Magnetar Academy Team Challenge as Competition Sets Participation Record
EVANSTON, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#MagChallenge–Magnetar Youth Investment Academy, an innovative high school-based
financial education program, held its fifth annual Magnetar Academy Team
Challenge on Saturday at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The event brings
together high school students from Chicago and its suburbs for a vibrant
stock trading competition. This year’s edition saw the highest
attendance in the event’s history, with approximately 375 students
trading as part of 45 teams. There were 34 schools represented, and over
50 financial industry professionals volunteered their time to advise
students as team coaches.
This year’s competition was won by Lincoln Park High School, a Chicago
public school on the near north side. Whitney Young High School came in
second place, while Richards Career Academy rounded out the top three.
The competition’s financial literacy quiz was won by Jones College Prep.
Numerous firms from across the financial services industry came together
to support the Challenge, including: Baird, Bay Crest Partners, BMO
Capital Markets, CISCO, Cowen Group, Intercontinental Exchange, Macro
Risk Advisors, MKM Partners, Royal Bank of Canada, Wedbush, and Wells
Fargo Securities.
A number of inspiring speakers also contributed to the event’s success.
Grammy award-winning rapper, activist and producer Che “Rhymefest” Smith
spoke to the students about the power of learning to control your
finances at a young age, being your authentic self, and the importance
of giving back to Chicago. CBS reporter Derrick Young led the financial
literacy quiz while City of Chicago Treasurer Kurt Summers reminded the
students to not only learn to invest money, but to invest in themselves.
For the first time, the event also featured a Magnetar Academy alum, as
Lilly Martinez — a current junior at the University of Wisconsin and a
2013 Challenge participant with Golder College Prep — spoke to the
crowd about how she is utilizing the financial literacy skills she
learned from Magnetar Academy as a college student.
“True power is the power to empower others,” said Smith. “Magnetar
Academy gives young people tools they can use after the course is over.
That’s what makes this program so powerful.”
“I’m thrilled to be able to come back to the Magnetar Academy Team
Challenge and speak to the students,” said Martinez. “The Magnetar
Academy has helped me find direction in my own career and future, and
it’s wonderful to see how much the Academy has grown since I
participated five years ago.”
“You can really see how much time and effort the kids have put into
preparing for this competition, and how passionate they are about
performing well,” said Alec Litowitz, founder and CEO of Magnetar
Capital. “Congratulations to Lincoln Park High School, and
congratulations to all the schools for making this our biggest Magnetar
Academy Team Challenge yet.”
The Magnetar Academy Team Challenge is the capstone event of the
Magnetar Youth Investment Academy, which was created in 2012 to offer
financial literacy curriculum to teachers at Chicago high schools. This
program is available at no cost to schools and provides financial
education curriculum to nearly 70 schools in the Chicago area, and has
served over 10,000 students since its inception.
About the Magnetar Youth Investment Academy
Magnetar
Youth Investment Academy is an innovative high school-based
financial education program provided for free to more than 150 Chicago
high school classrooms that has reached over 10,000 teens since its
inception in 2012. The Academy’s goal is to provide students –
especially those from lower income communities – with the tools they
need to lead financially informed and successful lives.
Through classroom and experiential learning, students are prepped to
make financial decisions throughout their lifetime with money management
skills including budgeting, credit, saving and investing.
Academy Facts:
- 10,000+ student participants to date
-
150+ Chicago area teachers trained to provide financial literacy
instruction - 450+ Magnetar Academy classes to date
- $250,000+ in college scholarships and school grants awarded
- 1000+ students have participated in Magnetar Academy Team Challenges
- 180 volunteer participants from Chicagoland financial firms
- 93 schools have implemented the program to date
Social Media:
- Website – www.magnetaracademychallenge.org/
- Facebook – www.facebook.com/MagnetarAcademy/
- Twitter – twitter.com/MagnetarAcademy
- Instagram – www.instagram.com/magnetaracademy/
- Snapchat – www.snapchat.com/add/magchallenge
- Hashtag – #MagChallenge
About Magnetar Capital
Magnetar
Capital is a $13B asset manager headquartered in Evanston, IL. The
Magnetar Capital Foundation was created five years ago to extend the
intellectual capital of the firm by supporting financial education among
high school students. The main way this is accomplished is through the
Magnetar Youth Investment Academy.
Contacts
for Magnetar Youth Investment Academy
Lorna Kiewert, Lorna@3ptscomm.com
(312)
725-7951
