Euro Challenge
Participants learn about the European Union, the euro currency and other important concepts central to economics and economic analysis. It’s a perfect opportunity to develop research, team work, and presentation skills.
How to Participate:
Students MUST be 9th and 10th graders ONLY
Each school can field 2 teams with a minimum of three students and maximum of 5.
Teams compete by creating a solution to an issue established by W!SE through 15-minute presentations in the regional and national competitions.
Date, Time, and Location TBD
What is the Euro Challenge
Euro Challenge is a competition about the currency and policies that shape the European Union (EU). It is for 9th and 10th grade students across the United States. After competing in regional contests, 25 teams will be invited to participate in the semi-finals and final rounds in New York City on April 27th, 2026.
Student teams work on a presentation about the economics of the euro currency area and tackle a specific challenge faced by a member state of the EU. They become policymakers crafting solutions to a topical issue and give a 15-minute presentation in front of expert judges.
Teams invited to the semi-final and final rounds in New York City present to diplomats and experts. The top two teams win a trip to Washington D.C., where they present to embassy officials from EU member state they analyzed and visit the European Union Delegation to the United States.
Teams can choose one of the following economic-related challenge topic:
Climate Change and Going Green
Demographics and an Aging Population
Inequality, Social Mobility and the Gender Gap
Boosting Growth, Competitiveness, and Prosperity
AI and the Labor Market
Euro Challenge 2026 Presentation Guidelines
For the 2026 Euro Challenge competition, which will take place in the spring of 2026, student teams will be asked to deliver 15-minute presentations in which they are required to:
Describe the current economic situation in the euro area (the economic region consisting of the 20 EU member countries who have adopted the euro). The description must include a discussion of GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation in the euro area and a brief discussion of the current monetary policy activities of the European Central Bank (ECB). To learn more about the ECB, toggle over the “Resources” tab and select “Useful Links”. There is a link to the ECB website that explains its role for the EU.
Select one economic-related challenge topic confronting the euro area as a whole (see list below), and pick one of the 20 member countries of the euro area to illustrate that challenge. To learn more about each country, toggle over the “Resources” tab and select “Country Profiles”.
Recommend a policy or policies for addressing the challenge you identified in the country you selected. Be sure to include in your recommendation a discussion of how having a single currency may or may not affect the policy choices for addressing the challenge.