A total of 91 students from 13 Hawai'i high schools competed in this year's competition at HPU's Aloha Tower Marketplace campus.
At this year’s Hawaiʻi State Economics Challenge (HSEC), a record number of Hawaiʻi high school students competed for the chance to advance to the National Economics Challenge. Students put their knowledge of economics to the test, as 91 participants from 13 high schools competed at HPU's Aloha Tower Marketplace campus. This was the fourth consecutive year that HPU hosted the challenge.
The 13 participating schools were Campbell High, Friendship Christian Academy, Hawaiʻi Technology Academy, ʻIolani School, Kapolei High, Lahainaluna High, Le Jardin Academy, Maryknoll School, Moanalua High, Radford High, Roosevelt High, Sacred Hearts Academy, and Waipahu High.
For the first time, neighbor island schools had a path to the finals. Hawaiʻi Technology Academy from Kauaʻi and Lahainaluna High School from Maui earned their spots through a qualifying online exam in which 64 students from six neighbor island schools competed, with top finishers receiving travel sponsorship to join the Oahu competition.
"Hawaiʻi has been making big strides in recent years to increase its economic and financial literacy, and we are excited to be a part of that. By participating in the Econ Challenge, these students are gaining far more than essential economic knowledge. They're developing skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and analytical thinking that will serve them for the rest of their lives," said HPU Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economics Education Gerard Dericks, Ph.D.
The HSEC, part of the National Economics Challenge organized by the Council for Economic Education, has brought together student teams from across the islands since 2001.
The competition runs in two divisions: the Adam Smith Division, for students with advanced economics backgrounds including AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, and International Baccalaureate coursework; and the David Ricardo Division, for first-time competitors enrolled in general or introductory economics courses.
Groups of three to four students competed, each guided by a teacher-coach, with top teams advancing to a Jeopardy-style final round to determine the state champion.
For the fourth consecutive year, ʻIolani School swept both the Adam Smith and David Ricardo divisions. The school will advance to the national semifinals of the National Economics Challenge, with finalists competing in person at the national finals.
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. The Center also runs "Teach the Teacher" workshops to help local educators bring economic concepts and entrepreneurial values into their classrooms.
