Simulation Meets Application in International Economic Summit

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OLIVIA CHEUNG
Editor in Chief

Although economics is typically associated with adults, high school seniors in participating schools are given the opportunity to experience world trade through the International Economic Summit (IES).
The IES is a hands-on simulation that teaches fundamental economic concepts through the context of world trade. Students are split into groups that represent a country, with each group acting as an economic advisor. The students then research the social, political and economic conditions of their respective countries in order to strategize a plan to improve their country’s living standards.
“The interaction and team coordination [that comes from IES] covers a wide set of skills and talents that few students possess as individuals: critical thinking, problem solving, detailed research, effective communication, creativity, showmanship, thoughtfulness, purposeful writing, organization and interpersonal relations,” economics teacher Javier Gutierrez said.
In AHS’ case, the IES was started in 2006. The coordinators vary by year and teachers’ interests. This year’s facilitators are social science teachers Netza Bravo, Javier Gutierrez and Johnnie Lau.
“Students need to know that the U.S. isn’t the center of the world,” Bravo said. “I’m hoping [the IES] will help them see where they stand in the global economy.”
This year’s IES consists of 93 countries, with each group comprised of four to five members.
After weeks of preparation, the groups gather in a summit held at each high school; this year’s tentative summit date is May 16. At the summit, the countries strive to follow their improvement plan through a variety of activities, such as alliance negotiations and trade issue debates, ending with a segment of actual trading. Each group also prepares a table display of its country and dresses in clothes to represent it.
“I hope to learn more about how world trade works [since] the effects of tariffs, free trade, foreign aid and other trade policies do not appear very often in the news and in our social science classes,” senior Ali Jishi said.