Students from across Utah were honored at a May 15 awards banquet for winning the Spring 2026 Utah Treasurer’s Investment Challenge, a statewide stock market simulation involving more than 2,500 participants from urban and rural communities.
The awards ceremony, held at the North Capitol Building in Salt Lake City, featured a keynote address by Robert Cummings, director of the Utah Division of Securities. The event recognized top teams from elementary, middle, and high school divisions who successfully managed virtual investment portfolios.
The Utah Treasurer’s Investment Challenge is a 10-week simulation where teams of three to five students, guided by teachers, manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio using real-world market data. To encourage diversification, the program rules limit any single company or fund to a maximum of 25% of the total investment.
The program is administered by the Utah Office of State Treasurer in partnership with the Utah Financial Empowerment Coalition. Beyond the market simulation, students could participate in an optional statewide writing contest focused on financial literacy and personal finance topics.
Educators noted the hands-on nature of the competition helps build student confidence in discussing economic concepts. Heather Bergholm, a teacher at Frontier Middle School in Eagle Mountain, said the challenge allows students to apply learning in a real-world setting.
