Helena  Archer and Nathalie Reilly, Chapel Hill High freshmen, and Emer O'Reilly, East Chapel Hill high freshman, are the first North Carolina Team to participate in this year's  Euro-Challenge Competition.  

On Friday, the team won their first round of competition by addressing questions related to the European economy and effects of U.S. economic policy on the European Union (EU).

This ties the team for first place out of 15 teams across the nation.  The students will travel to New York on April 28. All expenses are covered for this trip that allows the team to compete in the final rounds for cash awards.                                         

The Euro-challenge is an academic competition to encourage American students to learn more about the EU and the Euro, its single currency.

Robin McMahon, Smith Middle French teacher, organized this team of students becuase they already have a strong working knowledge of the European economy. The students have either traveled or lived abroad on the EU grant and or learned about EU policies prior to the trip last March.

Along with assistant coach, La Reine Reilly, the team designed a 15-minute presentation addressing sluggish Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the EU with a country focus of Belgium. Reilly has 16 years European finance experence.

The team chose Belgium because this is the country the schools have an exchange program that includes a pen pal writing initiative.

The team gathered their information through  authentic local and  international  sources including: International  conference calls, emails and coaching sessions with Geert Criel,  Minister of Finance to the U.S. Embassy, Anno Kamphuis, Dutch Senior Economist, Professor Black of UNC and economics coach La Reine Reilly. 

The students also interviewed their Belgian pen pals while they were visiting Chapel Hill this past March as well as interviewed local biotechnology executives.  

This event is supported by the Delegation of the European Commission in Washington, D.C. This is the same organization that awarded Smith Middle School the "Getting to Know Europe Grant" in 2007.  

McMahon's said her passion for projects including the Euro-challenge are because she believes all students should have equal access to learning opportunities.  "If I continue to board the plane to Europe with only the students who can afford it, I feel like I am continuing to build barriers - financial, academic, social and racial."

Click here for more on the school's foreign exchange program.