Saskatchewan Polytechnic Stock Market Challenge sparks investment curiosity for high school students across the province
Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Marcus Moulding is a passionate advocate for financial
education. The Business diploma program head launched a high school stock market competition last spring that bridges
his work at the post-secondary level in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship with a new requirement in Saskatchewan’s secondary education curriculum. Financial
Literacy 10 prepares youth for success in both their personal and professional lives
and can be followed by elective courses in grades 11 and 12.
“The basics are important but financial literacy covers more than just balancing a
chequebook,” says Moulding. “Although my teaching focus is adults, getting younger
students excited about financial learning is a challenge I’m keen to take on. Some
of these students may decide to explore further when they realize the possibilities
education in this field can create.”
Moulding’s simulation-style investment challenge brought together more than 400 students
from 22 high schools across the province along with one in Manitoba. Over the course
of the challenge, he provided teachers with resources to support asynchronous learning,
giving students the knowledge they would need to participate and compete.
“I sent the teachers a weekly newsletter about what’s happening in the markets and
how it relates to the economy, and suggested assignments they could use,” says Moulding.
Teachers led students through modules about investment diversification, risk and types
of stocks, to prepare them before they took up the challenge in teams of up to four.
Each team was allotted $100k of simulation money to invest in stocks and ETFs, or
exchange-traded funds, competing for top investor status.
Greg Walker, principal at participating St. Louis Public School, says the competition
complemented course curriculum but also amped up student engagement. “The competition
ran during talks about tariffs from the United States, so it was a good way to demonstrate
fluctuations in the market,” he says.
Moulding created two videos posted to YouTube as resources for the teachers to use
in class. “The first was an interview with one of our Sask Polytech instructors talking
about markets, careers in finance and what it’s like to be on campus in the Business
diploma program’s finance specialization.
“A second video gave students an industry perspective. Pamela Bryden, manager of financial
planning for RBC, talked about careers in finance and what it’s like working with
clients as a financial planner.”
Participating students used a simulator called Investopedia during the eight-week
virtual competition. The simulator allowed them to practice stock trading with virtual
money, sharpening their knowledge of how the stock market works and gaining confidence
without risking real capital.
Grade 10 student Ryder Harvey from St. Louis Public School was 2025’s Stock Market
Challenge winner. He achieved the biggest virtual investment portfolio to be named
top investor and was awarded credit for one of four free dual credit courses offered though Sask Polytech.
Walker says his young student was excited on the last day of the competition when
he realized he was topping the leader board. “He hadn’t been leading until that point
but had been investing strategically,” says Walker. “Ultimately, he had to decide
whether to cash out his investment or keep it—what would be a weighty decision in
real-life. It was good learning.”
This fall, Moulding launched the second challenge to over 400 student competitors
in 18 schools. “Teachers gave great feedback,” he says. “I’d like to fit the competition
timeline to the section of their curriculum that talks about financial investment
and am currently fine-tuning details.
“Ultimately, I’d love for this challenge to inspire students to explore Sask Polytech
as an option for post-secondary education,” says Moulding. “After a comprehensive
review of the Business diploma, we’re modifying our Finance specialization to further
align with FP Canada’s curriculum. Students in our program will learn a lot about
investing.”
Learn more about Sask Polytech’s Business diploma and the Finance specialization.
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