The Euro Challenge competition for 9th and 10th grade high school students tests their knowledge and understanding of the European economy and the euro, the currency shared by 19 countries of the Euro Area. For the 2021 Euro Challenge competition, which will take place in the spring of 2021, student teams will be asked to make 15-minute presentations during which they are required to:

  1. Describe the current economic situation in the euro area.

  2. Select one economic-related challenge confronting the euro area as a whole (see list below), and pick one of the 19 member countries of the euro area to illustrate that challenge.

  3. 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.

Teams can choose one of the following economic-related challenges:

  • Demographics and Aging Population

  • What Role Does Fiscal Policy Play in Promoting Economic Growth?

  • Living with a Single Monetary Policy

  • Tackling High Youth Unemployment

  • Managing Migration Flows

  • Inequality and Social Mobility

  • Innovating for Long-Term Growth and the Future of Work

Depending on which Euro Challenge Region you are a member of, presentations can be made either in person during the preliminary round of the competition or remotely via video conferencing. The video conferencing presentations will be made on the same day as the on-site competition for regions conducting a Hybrid Competition. For regions conducting a Virtual Competition, a competition date will be decided where all video conferencing will take place. In all rounds, following their presentations, teams must participate in a 10 minute question and answer session conducted by a panel of judges who are educators or experts in European economic affairs.

Schools that participate in the Euro Challenge will be provided with professional development, information resources, and coaching to provide guidance and assistance.