Seventeen students from The Ursuline School Lab for Financial Markets and Literacy, a pilot program at the all-girls Catholic school in New Rochelle, completed their inaugural course by celebrating at the closing-bell ceremony in Nasdaq”™s Times Square studio on Jan. 31. The trip served to provide a real-time window into the world of finance, both inspiring and empowering the students as they work toward completing their Bloomberg certification before they graduate from high school.
The Ursuline School first offered a financial lab course last fall in response to the underrepresentation of women in the world of finance and the ever-growing need for young women and girls to learn about a range of finance topics, from personal financial planning to the inner workings of global markets.
The pilot program kicked off by showcasing the newly installed Bloomberg terminal to more than 50 students in grades 6-12. They were then introduced to Ursuline”™s own skilled onsite financial expert Jill Patricot, who uses a Bloomberg terminal, a combination of media, team projects and real-world case studies to help students develop an understanding of complex financial concepts.
“In Ursuline”™s Lab,” Patricot said, “students built a portfolio and tracked its performance against the Nasdaq Composite Index, taking them from theory to practice.” Students also analyzed companies within different industries and countries, defined market assumptions and highlighted stocks of interest.
Looking beyond markets, the program also focused on financial literacy. Students worked in teams to structure budgets, learn about different types of debt and credit and explored related topics, including retirement accounts, sustainable investing and digital wallets.
“Young women must develop a financial mindset in order to make informed choices in their own lives,” explained Ursuline President Dr. Colleen Melnyk.
Founded in 1897, The Ursuline School is an all-girls, Roman Catholic, independent college preparatory school, for grades 6-12, located on a 13-acre modern campus in New Rochelle.
