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Build a portfolio and present an investment strategy in this three-week finance course for middle school students on Bryn Mawr College’s campus.
Course Description
Choosing a stock is only the beginning. The more interesting question is why it belongs in a portfolio and what could change that decision.
In this course your student will research companies and build a hypothetical portfolio. Articles, videos, and group analysis introduce stock-picking criteria, company profiles, and financial ratios. Free screeners help students narrow their choices. They’ll consider goals, time, and risk before deciding how much of the portfolio to allocate to each investment.
As prices move, students track performance and calculate return on investment. Taxes, commissions, fees, and interest rates complicate the picture: a price change alone cannot explain the whole result. Comparing portfolios with classmates gives students another view of their decisions. Their final presentation documents the companies and industries chosen, includes a portfolio graphic, and explains their allocation and any changes. The focus stays on informed reasoning, with hypothetical money throughout.
This three-week course for middle school students is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on Bryn Mawr College’s campus in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The program is available to commuter students.
What You Will Do
• Compare stock-picking criteria against different investment goals
• Research companies and industries with free stock screeners
• Examine company profiles, financial ratios, and risk
• Build a hypothetical portfolio and choose your allocations
• Track prices and calculate return on investment
• Present your portfolio graphic and explain your strategy
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Compare investments using goals, company information, financial ratios, and risk
• Calculate portfolio value and returns while accounting for common costs
• Defend an investment strategy with research and reasons for revising it
You’ll leave with your tracked hypothetical portfolio, an investment presentation and a certificate of completion.
Why Finance Skills Matter
Portfolio work makes percentages and ratios matter to a decision. Choosing an allocation means weighing a goal against risk, while tracking costs shows why an apparent gain may tell only part of the story.
Students also practice separating the quality of a decision from a short-term price change. Researching a company, checking a source, and explaining a revision give them concrete questions to ask whenever a financial claim sounds appealing: what supports it, what does it cost, and what could go wrong?
Who Should Attend?
For students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.
Your student may follow a well-known company, enjoy working with numbers, or wonder why stock prices move. This course connects those interests with the choices behind an investment strategy. Students use basic arithmetic and percentages, research companies, and compare their reasoning with classmates. All portfolio work uses hypothetical money.
Institute for the Gifted eligibility requirements apply; see the program FAQ.
Your Summer at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr gives middle-school students a welcoming place to explore challenging ideas, create, and meet peers who share their interests. Its historic, tree-lined setting near Philadelphia makes the day feel distinctly advanced while allowing students to return home each afternoon.
The commuter-day format combines active academics with a clear daily routine and shared activities throughout the program day. Students can test new interests, contribute to discussions and projects, and become more confident navigating a college setting without an overnight stay. For families, Bryn Mawr offers a thoughtful balance of substantive learning, friendship, guidance, and age-appropriate independence in a structured day-program environment.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive