The Euro Challenge team with their country flag March 3, 2024. From left: sophomore and team captain Grace Kavanaugh, freshman twins Cole and Frankie Graninger, and sophomore Austin Stegerwald. Photo used with permission from Lisa Gibson.

Launched in the U.S., in 2006, the Euro Challenge competition is designed to educate students on economic concepts that are central to the European Union. The challenge is hosted annually by the EU delegation to the U.S. 

This will be the second year that Ocean Lakes is sending a team to compete virtually in this competition.

“Our team chose Italy as our European country,” said Gibson. “We picked the topic of managing migration flows.”

The team is currently researching how Italy’s aging population and the flow of immigrants from northern Africa affect the economy in both positive and negative ways.

“The students examine three key economic factors: GDP growth, inflation and unemployment,” said Gibson. “We look at these as key indicators of economic health in the EU overall, and specifically in Italy.”

The team will put together a 15-minute presentation on their findings and come up with a number of policy solutions that could solve the economic issues they find. 

Judges are real-life, working economists who will have 10 minutes to question the students about their policy solutions.

“We compete on March 26 virtually, in the regionals, and 25 schools across the country will be selected to compete in the nationals in New York,” said Gibson.

“Regardless of the competition’s outcome, the Euro Challenge has provided these students the opportunity to improve their research, critical thinking, problem-solving and public speaking skills.”