Euro Challenge

The World Affairs Council of Charlotte was selected as the Euro Challenge coordinator for the state of North Carolina in partnership with Working in Support of Education (WISE) based in New York.

Launched by the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S. in partnership with The Moody’s Foundation and with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York serving as program advisor, the Euro Challenge tests high school students on their knowledge and understanding of the European economy and the euro, the currency shared by many of the 28 countries of the European Union.

Teams create presentations that explore real-world economic problems and allow students the opportunity to step into the shoes of international policymakers by crafting recommendations and solutions.

9th and 10th grade students from high schools nationwide are eligible to participate in the Euro Challenge US competition.
Each team must have at least three (3) students and at least one (1) faculty advisor. Advisors are required to attend competition rounds with their students.
Each school may enter up to two (2) teams.
*Title 1 schools, or schools in which 50% or more of students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch, may enter 11th and 12th grade students into the Euro Challenge US competition .*Eligibility requirements are subject to change.

For the 2024 Euro Challenge competition, which will take place on March 21, 2024, student teams will be asked to make 15-minute presentations during 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.

Teams can choose one of the following economic-related challenge topic:

NEW Climate Change and Going Green
NEW What Role does Inflation Play in an Economy?
Managing Migration Flows
Inequality, Social Mobility and the Gender Gap
Innovating for Long-Term Growth and the Future of Work