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A total of 49 high school students participated in this year's Hawai'i State Economics Challenge hosted at HPU.
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Students from 'Iolani School, Le Jardin Academy, and Maryknoll School competed in this year's state finals.
For the third year in a row, HPU hosted the Hawaiʻi State Economics Challenge (HSEC) at its Aloha Tower Marketplace campus, bringing together top high school economics students from across the islands for an exciting day of competition and academic achievement.
A total of 49 students from ʻIolani School, Le Jardin Academy, and Maryknoll School competed in this year’s state finals, with ʻIolani once again sweeping both divisions—David Ricardo and Adam Smith—for the third consecutive year.
High school students competing in the economics challenge hosted for the third year in a row at HPU.
“The Econ Challenge allows Hawaiʻi students to experience the excitement of competition, strengthen their teamwork skills, and deepen their understanding of economics,” said HPU Director of the Center for Economics Education Gerard Dericks, Ph.D.
The competition is divided into two tracks based on students’ coursework in economics. The David Ricardo Division features students enrolled in general or introductory-level economics courses such as social studies, personal finance, or business. The Adam Smith Division is reserved for students with more advanced backgrounds, including those enrolled in AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, International Baccalaureate programs, or college-level economics courses.
The HSEC is part of the National Economics Challenge, organized by the Council for Economic Education. The top teams from Hawaiʻi will advance to the national semifinals, held online from April 21–24. Finalists will compete in person at the national finals in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 28–30.
HPU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economics Education, established in 2021, coordinates the state’s participation in the challenge as part of its mission to expand access to economics education and foster entrepreneurial thinking across Hawaiʻi. In addition to organizing the HSEC, the Center also runs “Teach the Teacher” workshops to help local educators bring economic concepts and entrepreneurial values into their classrooms.
To learn more about HPU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economics Education, click here.
For more information about the National Economic Challenge, visit the official website.
