DENVER — The key to investing is learning how to do it early.  And that’s just what hundreds of Colorado high school students did today at the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.

The event was emcee’d by FOX 31 anchor Jeremy Hubbard this afternoon at the Cable Center on the campus of the University of Denver.

More than 1,500 students from 38 Denver-area schools competed over two days to see which team could build the most wealth on a mock Wall Street trading floor, complete with an opening bell. Using fake companies and make-believe stock tips, the students used their smarts to invest wisely.

“We try to gain as much money as we can and in the process learn about how the stock market functions and different things like shift market,” said Hayden Vanderpol, a senior at Broomfield High School who hopes to study business in college.

“Students don’t necessarily have stocks at this age right now, but its a way to invest your money and to save,” said Stephanie Murphy, Director of Middle and High School Programs for Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain.

Junior Achievement is a non-profit that with the goal of inspiring and preparing young people to succeed with programs aimed at entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness.