Dozens of high school students will be spending the next six months trading stocks, managing investments and learning about the financial markets, as part of the Saxon Investment Club programme for high school and college students.

Now in its fifth year, the programme was launched for the current school year at Cayman Prep and High School on Monday, 7 October with students from St. Ignatius Catholic School joining the host school as participants in the programme. John Gray High School has also signed on to take part.

Spearheaded by Saxon, the Investment Club aims to assist students in learning about investing, money, the stock market, the relationship between current events and stock trends, as well as starting and running a business. The programme is sponsored by Saxon Insurance and Saxon Pensions, agent for Silver Thatch Pensions.

The learning module began on Monday, 14 October and runs until 31 March 2014, explained Alice Ramos, Saxon’s coordinator for club.

Students make stock trades using the online investment tool CBS Market Watch, to simulate real life trades, using an initial sum of $100,000 (fake cash), which they are given to invest. They work in teams and are supervised by teachers who monitor their learning and progress. Monthly prizes are awarded for top performance and at the end of the six-month programme, a winning team is selected, based on the highest net value of the investments made.

Saxon Investment Club has been an overwhelming success, with hundreds of students participating over the years. As a testament to its acceptance, the programme has been incorporated into the curriculum of at least one local high school. The Ministry of Education also supported the programme over the past two years, providing prize money for some of the winning teams.

“We are hoping that other schools will make this a part of their curriculum or extra-curricular activities,” noted Saxon CEO Brian Williams. “Every year we are encouraged by the number of students who enthusiastically participate in the program and impressed by their ability to handle the intricacies of the financial markets, noted Saxon CEO Brian Williams.

“Furthermore, the feedback from students has been tremendous and so we know that it is meeting our goals, which are to ensure our young people gain financial literacy and are motivated to look at this area when they consider their career choices, or envision themselves as young entrepreneurs,” Mr Williams added.

PHOTO: These high school students representing Cayman Prep and High School and St Ignatius Catholic School, will be among scores of students participating in the Saxon Investment Club, this school year. Pictured at centre are Brian Williams, CEO Saxon and Alice Ramos, Saxon Agent.