Overview
The Youth Sustainability Investment Challenge (YSIC), hosted by YEFA and sponsored by Global Alliance, is an ESG-centered portfolio management competition. In YSIC, students will have the opportunity to think creatively, build their own unique strategies, and test out various financial instruments individually or with a team up to 4 members (Team Size: 1-4 members). Each student/team will start out with $100,000 in cash and have roughly 3 months to construct an ESG-oriented portfolio. Any stock and bond listed on a YSIC-approved stock exchange or bond exchange will be allowed for trading during the competition. Finalists (top 10 global students/teams) will have the opportunity to pitch their investment strategy to a panel of distinguished Wall Street judges, compete in New York City for a $3,500 cash prize pool, and attend a unique networking event in NYC with industry-leading professionals.
Competition Timeline
Dates & Timeline
July 27th - Registration Starts
October 30th - Registration Ends
October 2nd - Trading Begins
November 1st - Midterm Report Due
January 5th - Final Report Due
March 8th - Top 10 Finalists Announced
Trading Rules
- Trading 10/02/2023- 12/9/2023
- Each account will start out with $100,000 in virtual cash.
- All Stocks must be greater than $3,
- International stocks are allowed.
- Stocks and Bonds are allowed to buy and sell.
- ETF, short selling, margin trading, Cryptocurrencies, and other options are not allowed.
- The maximum amount a student can invest in single security (either a stock or bond) is 10%. (Example: the maximum you can invest in AAPL is 10% of your entire portfolio)
- Each account must make a minimum of 1 trade by 11:59 pm EST on 10/16/2023. Otherwise, you will be disqualified.
- Your cash position cannot be greater than 50% at the midterm. Ex: if you buy 10% for each stock, the minimum number of stocks is 5.
- Record each transaction
- To enter the quarterfinals and semifinals, you need to show that at least one ESG-friendly stock in your portfolio.
- There is no brokerage fee for this competition.
- There is no interest income on cash balances
- ESG Requirements TBD
Midterm Report Requirements
Each team leader should submit their finalized team roster (their students’ names and schools, and addresses). Note: there are no team composition requirements. Any country, school grade.
Each portfolio must have less than 50% of the cash. You can buy bonds/treasury (cash similar) to substitute cash investment.
Presentation Must Include:
- Team name and an introduction of each team member
- How the team met one another
- What they’ve learned so far
- Their trading strategy and your portfolio performance
- Reasoning for their ESG friendly stock
Competition Rules
Team Structure:
- Participants may compete individually or in teams of up to four members.
- Eligible students must be in grades 7–12 during the 2024–25 school year.
- Each team must be registered by a designated team leader, who will be responsible for staying informed about YSIC™ updates and submitting all required competition materials.
- Important: If you want to compete as a team but need help finding teammates, you can join our competition’s Discord server to connect with other participants. The Discord QR code is available in the Contact Us section of this page.
Trading Rules:
- Each account will start with $1,000,000 in virtual cash.
- Only stocks priced above $3.00 are eligible for trading.
- International stocks, stocks, and bonds are allowed.
- The following are not permitted: ETFs, short selling, margin trading, cryptocurrencies, and other options.
- A maximum of 10% of the portfolio can be invested in a single security (e.g., the most you can invest in AAPL is 10% of your total portfolio).
- Each account must execute at least one trade by the midterm to avoid disqualification.
- All transactions must be recorded, including buy price, sell price, and trade dates.
- To advance to the quarterfinals and semi-finals, portfolios must include at least one ESG-friendly stock.
- There are no brokerage fees in this competition.
- No interest income will be earned on cash balances.
- Halted, restricted, and blocked stocks are unavailable for trading. Any trade confirmed after a stock has been halted will be reversed.
Prizes:
Cash Awards:
Cash prizes are divided between a personal award and an impact implementation fund:
First Place: $1,000 ($500 personal / $500 impact)
Second Place: $750 ($450 personal / $300 impact)
Third Place: $600 ($300 personal / $300 impact)
People’s Choice Impact Award: $650 ($350 personal / $300 impact)
Impact Implementation Supplement (For Impact Champions):
Winners whose designated impact portion is less than $500 may receive supplemental funding from YEFA to reach the full $500 implementation amount.
Teams may choose to implement their project using only their designated impact portion, without additional funding.
All implementations, regardless of funding amount, will be evaluated equally for Impact Champions qualification.
YEFA Leadership Positions:
Outstanding performers may be invited to join YEFA’s leadership team, contributing to future initiatives and programs.
Recognition Benefits:
All participants:
- Receive the Commended Youth Sustainable Investor Award upon successful competition completion.
Semi-finalists:
- Earn special certificates recognizing their achievements.
Impact Champions:
- Are featured in YEFA’s annual impact report.
- Receive an exclusive “Impact Champion” certificate and trophy.
- Are highlighted on YEFA’s social media platforms.
- Have their implementation stories shared with YEFA’s network.
Impact Champions Program:
Winners who implement and document a meaningful impact project within three months qualify for exclusive benefits:
Wall Street Leadership Recommendation:
Impact Champions receive personalized recommendations from competition judges, which include:
- Specific performance highlights.
- Quantitative achievement data.
- Leadership moment examples.
- Impact innovation assessment.
- Real-world implementation success.
Each recommendation is tailored based on verified competition achievements and endorsed by industry professionals who serve as judges.
Impact Champions Program (continued):
Fellowship Opportunities:
Impact Champions gain access to exclusive internships with sponsor companies, allowing them to:
- Apply competition experience to real-world challenges.
- Develop professional skills in finance and sustainability.
- Build valuable industry connections.
- Create tangible community impact.
Past winners have gone on to prestigious universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and UPenn.
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Notice: YEFA reserves the right to modify competition rules, awards, and instructions throughout the duration of YSIC™. Competition-related information does not constitute investment advice or guarantee real-market performance. For detailed information on the competition, deliverables, key dates, prizes, and more, please refer to the YSIC Competitor’s Package. If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the YEFA Discord server or reach out through the contact page on the YEFA website
