More reasons to enroll early: Save $250 on tuition + 50% off your deposit. Enroll by Oct 31.
Build a diversified personal investment portfolio in this 2-week program for middle school students on Georgetown University’s campus.
Seats are limited, and this course may sell out for summer 2027. Enroll early to save your seat.
Course Description
A savings goal gives money a purpose. Choosing how to invest it means thinking about time, risk, and what you might need along the way.
In this course your student will explore saving, investment management, and capital markets. Interest rates and compounding show how money changes over time. Students compare stocks, bonds, funds, and cryptocurrency by possible returns, price swings, and how easily an investment turns into cash.
They’ll choose a financial goal, consider their timescale and comfort with risk, and explore why spreading investments matters. Research and simulations connect company and economic news with decisions. Comparing expectations with results also reveals how fear or excitement can lead someone astray.
A personal portfolio plan brings these choices together. Students explain how their investments fit their goal and balance risk and reward. The challenge is to support a strategy, without promising a particular return.
This two-week course takes place at Georgetown University. The course is available to residential and commuter students. The program is developed by Georgetown University and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
What You Will Do
• Calculate how compounding affects savings over time
• Compare stocks, bonds, funds, and cryptocurrency
• Match an investment goal with time and acceptable risk
• Research how company and economic news may affect investments
• Spot how fear and excitement affect investment choices
• Design and explain a diversified personal portfolio
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how compounding, price changes, and access to money affect investments
• Compare investment types in relation to a financial goal
• Explain how spreading investments, time, and risk shape a portfolio
You’ll leave with your personal portfolio plan and a certificate of completion.
Why Personal Finance Skills Matter
Personal finance skills help students understand why time, risk, and diversification matter before real money is at stake. Compounding shows how early choices can grow, while volatility and liquidity explain why two investments with attractive returns may not fit the same goal.
Behavioral finance adds self-awareness. Students consider how emotions, headlines, and short-term price changes can affect judgment. Researching choices and writing down a plan encourage discipline, curiosity, and personal responsibility, habits that support lifelong financial literacy.
Who Should Attend?
For students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.
If your student likes numbers or wonders why an investment rises and falls, this course connects those questions with personal goals. Research and simulations give them a way to compare choices and explain a portfolio plan. No previous finance or economics experience is required; the interest is in understanding a decision, not predicting the next big winner.
Your Summer at Georgetown University
Studying on Georgetown University’s campus gives middle-school students a memorable place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Washington, D.C. The historic campus sits near embassies, institutions, and public conversations that make the wider world feel close, even when the course itself is not connected to government or policy.
The program combines active academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students navigate a new environment. Students can try unfamiliar subjects, share ideas with peers, and build confidence through a structured summer experience. For families, the program offers an engaging balance of learning and fun, with the community and guidance younger students need as they develop independence and discover what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive