Welcome to the Youth Sustainable Investment Challenge, an initiative by the Youth Entrepreneurship and Finance Association that encourages young entrepreneurs to explore the intersection of finance and sustainability. This challenge is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to develop innovative financial solutions that address pressing environmental and social issues, shaping a more sustainable future.
The Youth Sustainable Investment Challenge (YSIC) is an engaging competition where participants create sustainability-focused investment portfolios, combining financial strategy with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. With opportunities to showcase innovative ideas, connect with industry leaders, and compete for exciting prizes, YSIC inspires the next generation of responsible investors.
The Youth Sustainability Investment Challenge (YSIC™), hosted by the Youth Entrepreneurship and Finance Association (YEFA) and sponsored by Global Alliance, is a first-of-its-kind ESG-centered portfolio management competition.
🏆 Your Mission:
- Manage a $1,000,000 virtual portfolio with sustainable investment principles on StockTrax
- Design a community impact project linked to your investments
- Pitch your strategies to distinguished Wall Street judges for a chance to win cash prizes & leadership opportunities
Finalists will compete in a live Virtual Summit, presenting their investment and impact strategies to financial professionals.
This competition isn’t just about numbers—it’s about real-world impact. You’ll invest strategically and create a tangible plan to solve a problem in your community.
Step 1: Choose Your Challenge
Pick a real-world issue that matters to you:
✅ Environment – Pollution, clean energy, waste management
✅ Social – Food insecurity, education access, mental health
✅ Economic – Small business growth, job training
Step 2: Build Your Impact-Driven Portfolio
Your $1M portfolio should be:
📈 70-80% traditional investments (demonstrating financial acumen)
💡 20-30% impact-driven (directly addressing your chosen challenge)
Example:
If you want to fight food insecurity, you might invest in:
- Retailers expanding grocery access (Walmart, Kroger)
- Agri-tech companies improving food production
- Logistics firms enhancing food distribution
Step 3: Plan & Implement Change
Your team will develop an impact plan based on a standardized $500 budget, detailing:
✅ How to execute your project
✅ Expected impact & success metrics
✅ A clear timeline
Winning teams will receive funding to bring their impact plan to life.
⏳ The competition runs from March 10 - August 15 with multiple rounds.
✅ Submit an initial trading strategy and impact proposal
✅ Trade at least 15 stocks or bonds
✅ Must include at least one ESG-friendly stock
📢 Top 60 teams advance based on: 📊 Portfolio performance (50%) + 🌱 Impact proposal quality (50%)
✅ Top 60 teams submit a comprehensive investment report
✅ 90-second video for the People's Choice Award
📢 Top 30 teams advance based on: 📈 Investment strategy quality (60%) + 💡 Impact plan viability (40%)
Top 30 teams submit a 10-minute video presentation showcasing:
✅ Trading performance
✅ ESG impact
✅ Implementation strategy
📢 Top 10 teams advance based on:🎤 Presentation quality (50%) + 🔍 Feasibility (25%) + 🚀 Innovation (25%)
🏆 Live presentations to Wall Street judges
🗣️ 10-minute pitch + 5-minute Q&A
🌍 Winners & People’s Choice Award announced!
👥 Team Size: 1-4 students in grades 7-12
💰 Starting Capital: $1,000,000 virtual cash
📊 Trading Rules:
✅ Minimum 15 trades by the final submission
❌ No short selling, margin trading, or crypto
✅ Max 10% investment per stock or bond
📈 ESG stock required to advance
💼 Round 1: Portfolio + 1-page impact proposal
📊 Round 2: 1500-word investment report + video
🎤 Round 3: 10-minute video presentation
🏅 Finals: Live pitch to judges
📸 Post-Competition (Optional): Impact documentation for exclusive opportunities
Winners whose designated impact portion is less than $500 can receive supplemental funding from YEFA to reach the full $500 implementation amount
Placing first place at YSIC will get you:
Placing second place at YSIC will get you:
Placing third place at YSIC will get you:
Placing third place at YSIC will get you:
The Youth Sustainable Investment Challenge offers a dual prize structure, consisting of personal prizes that recognize individual achievements and impact prizes that allow winners to support initiatives aligned with their sustainable investment strategies. This unique approach empowers winners to not only celebrate their success but also contribute to meaningful causes, amplifying the positive impact of their work in sustainable finance.
Outstanding performers may be invited to join YEFA's leadership team, helping shape future initiatives and programs.
- All participants who successfully complete the competition will receive a Commended Youth Sustainable Investor Award
- All semi-finalists will receive special certificates recognizing their achievements
- Be featured in YEFA's annual impact report
- Receive an exclusive "Impact Champion" certificate and trophy
- Be highlighted on YEFA's social media platforms
- Have their implementation stories shared with YEFA's network
- Winners whose designated impact portion is less than $500 can receive supplemental funding from YEFA to reach the full -$500 implementation amount
- Teams may choose to implement with only their designated impact portion without supplemental funding
- All implementations, regardless of amount, will be evaluated equally for Impact Champions qualification
Winners who implement and document a meaningful impact project within three months qualify for exclusive benefits:
- Impact Champions receive personalized recommendations from competition judges, featuring:
- Specific performance highlights
- Quantitative achievement data
- Leadership moment examples
- Impact innovation assessment
- Real-world implementation success
- Each recommendation is crafted based on documented competition achievements and verified by industry veterans who serve as judges.
- Impact Champions gain access to exclusive internships with sponsor companies where they can:
- Apply competition experience
- Develop professional skills
- Create real-world impact
- Build industry connections
- Past winners have gone on to prestigious universities including Harvard, Stanford, and UPenn.
Registration
Step 1:
Join YSIC Discord :
https://discord.gg/RrvmcgQGWu
Step 2: Fill out YSIC registration form: https://form.jotform.com/232195774832161
Step 3: Join YSIC Stocktrak: https://www.stocktrak.com/members/register?sessionid=330645
Contact
Email: YSIC@yefa.org
Discord : https://discord.gg/RrvmcgQGWu
Website: https://yefa.webflow.io
