Our Mission
Why we exist, what we believe, and what makes a FIC chapter different from a regular club.
Teach investing the way we wish we'd been taught.
FIC exists to teach high school students how investing and finance actually work — through collaboration, hands-on lessons, and real-world application. Every chapter works toward the same finish line: a competitive stock pitch experience where students apply everything they've learned to a real company, in front of a real audience.
Financial literacy shouldn't be a privilege.
Right now, most people don't learn how to invest until college — if at all — and usually only if they happen to know someone who works in finance. We don't think that's fair. Every student deserves access to this knowledge, a low-stakes place to practice it, and a community that's figuring it out alongside them. Your zip code shouldn't decide whether you understand how money works.
What we stand for
The values that shape how every FIC chapter runs — from lesson plans to pitch day.
Curiosity
Good questions matter more than quick answers.
Integrity
We talk about money honestly, including what we don't know.
Collaboration
We learn faster together than alone — and it's more fun.
Respect
Every question is a fair one, no matter your starting point.
Empathy
We meet students where they are, not where we assume they should be.
What makes FIC different
This isn't just another club with a vague mission statement. Here's what you actually get.
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A structured, beginner-friendly curriculum
Six lessons that take students from the basics of the stock market to building and presenting their own investment pitch — no prior experience needed.
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A live stock pitch competition
The curriculum builds toward something real: a competitive pitch event where students present their investment ideas and get feedback.
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A cross-school network
FIC chapters aren't isolated clubs. Leaders connect across schools to share resources, compare notes, and compete together.
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Leadership roles that teach real skills
Running a chapter means planning meetings, leading lessons, and organizing an event — experience that builds confidence well beyond finance.
Six lessons. Zero jargon.
Every FIC chapter works through the same six lessons, building toward the stock pitch competition.
1Intro to the Stock Market & Investing
What a stock actually is, how markets work, and why people invest in the first place — the foundation everything else builds on.
2Intro to Businesses & Why They Go Public
How companies are built, what it means to "go public," and why that matters to anyone holding a share of stock.
3Financial Statements
A plain-language walkthrough of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow — the documents every investor needs to read.
4Valuing a Company
How investors decide what a company is actually worth, and how to start forming your own opinion on whether a stock is a good deal.
5Reading Charts & Evaluating Performance
How to read a stock chart, spot trends, and evaluate how a company has actually performed over time.
6Investor Psychology, Risk & Reward + Intro to Stock Pitching
Why investors make the decisions they do, how to think about risk versus reward, and how to put it all together into your first stock pitch.
Want to bring this to your school?
Starting a chapter means access to the full curriculum, leader guides, and our network.
Start a Chapter