Junior Achievement of North Florida (JA), in partnership with EverBank, has announced the 4th Annual JA Stock Market Challenge, a dynamic competition designed to teach students the fundamentals of building savings, long-term investment strategies and financial management.
The event will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Schultz Center, where 240 local high school students from 20 schools will experience the excitement of the stock market through this fast-paced, experiential learning simulation.
The JA Stock Market Challenge offers students a hands-on opportunity to understand how financial markets operate and how global events influence investment decisions. Beyond financial literacy, the event helps students build financial confidence, teamwork, career readiness and economic mobility — critical skills for success in school, work and life.
“This event gives students a front-row seat to how the economy works — and more importantly, their place in it,” said Tiffany Guthrie, vice president of programs and partnerships at Junior Achievement of North Florida. “The Stock Market Challenge empowers young people to see themselves as future investors, innovators and leaders, capable of shaping their own financial futures.”
Leading up to the competition, more than 1,800 students will participate in JA’s Take Stock in Your Future program, which introduces high school students to the basics of investing, market trends and the impact of current events on the economy.
Participating schools in this year’s challenge include: Andrew Jackson High School, Atlantic Coast High School, Baldwin High School, Colossal Academy, Duval Charter Schools, Englewood High School, First Coast High School, Fletcher High School, Impact Academy, Joshua Christian Academy, KIPP Bold City High School, Matanzas High School, PACE Center for Girls, Paxon High School, Raines High School, Ribault High School, Riverside High School, Terry Parker High School, Westside High School and Wolfson High School.
The event simulates a live trading floor, complete with opening and closing bells, where each minute represents a new trading day. Teams buy and sell shares, react to breaking news and compete to build the strongest portfolio before the market closes.
The top three teams will receive medals and prizes for their performance, and the winning team will earn a trip to Boston, where they will compete in the JA National Stock Market Challenge as part of the 2026 JA Future Bound Student Leadership Conference.
EverBank continues its leadership as the title sponsor, with Publix Super Market Charities serving as presenting sponsor.
