Midwest Fed Challenge Winners

Four students from University School of Milwaukee won the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Midwest Fed Challenge 2019. The students are (pictured from left) Jack Glusman ’19, Brodie Mutschler ’19, Gordy Leech ’19, Sammy Marcus ’19, and team coach Henry Wend.

The Fed Challenge was developed to encourage greater awareness among students of how the U.S. economy functions and the role of the Federal Reserve in the economy. The program is designed to encourage students to learn more about economics and about the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the policymaking group that makes interest rate decisions to foster economic strength and stability.

Each team is required to analyze current economic data, develop a monetary policy recommendation, and defend that recommendation in front of a panel of judges. The team prepares a 25-minute demonstration, which includes a 15-minute presentation on the economy and a 10-minute period where students answer questions from the judges.

“This is the only competition I’ve seen where you can actually get the real understanding to be able to articulate what the macroeconomy is about, and what the Federal Reserve is about,” said Henry Wend, Upper School history teacher and director of Global Scholars, who also serves as the team coach. “I’m really proud of our team for their hard work and dedication.”