The 7th annual Global Economic Symposium (GES) was held virtually on Friday March 12, 2021. Prior to the event, more than 70 high school and middle school students from MA, NJ, NY, RI and TX worked in teams to conduct research on a global economic problem that each team identified. College student mentors from Bentley University and Bridgewater State University were available to assist and advise the students as they conducted their research.

This program was created to tap into the creativity and open-mindedness of youth to identify a global issue and use economic reasoning to propose a program, policy or protocol to mitigate the impact of this issue on nations. The Global Economic Symposium positions students to do research, work as a team, and present and defend their recommendation(s) before a panel of professional judges.

In the weeks leading up to the Global Economic Symposium, student teams produced short videos to highlight their analysis of the problem and their proposed solutions. On the day of the event, their 5-minute pre-recorded videos were shown to panels of judges consisting of distinguished experts in academia, industry, banking and education. The students on each team then had opportunities to respond in real time to the judges’ questions.

At the conclusion of the event, the following schools and teams were selected by the judges for award recognition, based on the quality of their research presentations and their responses to judges’ questions:

International Division (High School)
1st Place Global Water Crisis                Brockton High School, MA
2nd Place Cyber Security                      East Greenwich High School, RI
3rd Place 4th Industrial Revolution       Brockton High School, MA
4th Place Infrastructure                        Weequahic High School, NJ

Global Division (Middle School)
1st Place Childhood Malnutrition    Archie R. Cole Middle School, RI
2nd Place Child  Labor                    Archie R. Cole Middle School, RI

By participating in the 7th Annual Global Economic Symposium, all students had valuable opportunities to build important research and communication skills, while gaining experience in working collaboratively with others. Their enthusiasm and commitment to making the world a better place was truly inspiring.

According to Global Economic Symposium Program Coordinator George “Scott” Guild, “What better way is there to ensure our future economic vitality and civic responsibility than to engage the minds and voices of students across the country and across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to share their perception and solutions for imminent global issues?”

Here is the list of all participating schools:
Archie R. Cole Middle School, East Greenwich, RI
Ashfield Middle School, Brockton MA
Brockton High School, Brockton, MA
Coney Island Prep High School, Brooklyn, NY
East Greenwich High School, East Greenwich, RI
East Side High School, Paterson, NJ
Malcolm X Shabazz High School, Newark, NJ
Weequahic High School, Newark, NJ
Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center, Dallas TX

Students were engaged throughout the day by the speakers’ highly motivating words of support and encouragement. Keynote speaker Demetriouse L. Russell, CEO of Venn Diagram LLC, inspired participants by emphasizing the important role of diversity and inclusion, and by explaining the key differences between equality and equity. Afternoon presenters Dennis Creary, President and CEO of Blacks on Wall Street, and Kevin Ruth, Founder of Finance 411.com also provided personal and professional insights into how students can access pathways to success.

In support of nurturing financial capability for students and in the industry, the winners in the International Division (high school) will receive monetary awards to be spent for investment purposes through newly-created youth investment products. The winners of the Global Division (middle school) will receive swag bags. In addition, all Global Economic Symposium student team members will have the chance to participate in an upcoming online workshop on how to market themselves for future success, and how to recognize and avoid pitfalls that can sidetrack reaching their goals.

The generous support of the following sponsors made the Global Economic Symposium available free of charge to all participating students and schools:

Platinum Sponsors: Loomis Sayles, Kevin Ruth CEO Finance101, Kiser Family Foundation. BankFive, Empower Yourself LTD, MA Rep. Claire Cronin, Tech Wave Group

Additional Sponsors:  ACT-CPA, Blacks on Wall Street, Bridgewater State University, Citizens Bank, Demetriouse Russell Venn Diagram Partners, Eastern Bank, Fidelity Investments, Fit Money, Harvard Business School, MA Council for Economic Education, New England Institute of Technology, RI Council for Economic Education, RI JumpStart Coalition, Trimble, Inc.

Tech Wave, with contributions from MaxAmplify, provided valuable technology support as this year’s Global Economic Symposium transitioned to a virtual format.

For a complete list of all award-winners, schools, teachers, judges, volunteers, and sponsors, see https://rijumpstart.org/news/winners-of-the-2021-global-economic-symposium/

For a student’s perspective on the Global Economic Symposium, read Jessica Caterson’s March 21, 2021 article in East Greenwich News “How Are You Going to Change the World?” https://eastgreenwichnews.com/how-are-you-going-to-change-the-world/

The Global Economic Symposium creators and co-organizers are Mr. Cedric Turner, Mr. George “Scott” Scott Guild, Dr. Margaret Brooks, Dr. Patricia Page, and Ms. Deb Bloomberg.