Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, has partnered with Junior Achievement to host its inaugural Stock Market Challenge in Florida. More than 250 students from 12 public high schools in Miami-Dade County will convene in Akerman's Miami office on Oct. 20 for a simulated experience of the stock market trading floor.
"Junior Achievement’s Stock Market Challenge provides students the opportunity to learn investment and money management principles in hands-on, fun and engaging way," said Catherine Haga, president of Junior Achievement of Greater Miami. "By teaching investing this way, the students are learning by doing which has a much greater impact on improving students’ financial literacy and financial outcomes."
Students will embark on an accelerated 60-day cycle of the stock market in which teams compete by buying and selling $1 million of imaginary stocks. Every 60 seconds represents one trading day, and each day brings news from financial markets challenging teams to analyze and decide what actions they should take. The team with the highest worth in their stock portfolio at the closing bell wins at the end of 90 minutes. Students will celebrate their success with an award ceremony and luncheon.
In the evening, 60 corporate teams will participate in this simulation, with the goal of raising funds towards the delivery of Junior Achievement’s financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship programs throughout Miami.
A long-time advocate for education and youth development, Akerman is recognized by the Financial Times as one of the most forward thinking and socially responsible law firms in North America. The firm is most known for creating a first-of-its-kind law firm partnership with National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (National CASA) during the inaugural Akerman Give Back campaign. The 2016 Give Back featured several events aimed at strengthening the pathway to higher education for foster youth. The firm awarded the inaugural recipient of the Akerman Academic Excellence Scholarship, intended to reduce the financial burden of higher education for young adults who have spent time in the foster care system. The event also brought Akerman and the CASA network together with LaunchCode, Wyncode Academy and The Idea Center@MDC for a coding workshop, as part of an united effort to close the technology education gap among disadvantaged students.
Click here for details about the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge in Miami.
About Akerman LLP
Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 650 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 24 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer (2016). Akerman also is ranked among the top 60 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2016).
About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students in over 100 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations in more than 100 countries worldwide.