Two hundred and fifty university and high school students from across Idaho will compete at Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the second annual Frank Church International Economic Summit.

In conjunction with the Frank Church Institute Conference, titled “Arab Spring,” the Idaho Council on Economic Education will turn the Jordan Ballroom into a highly competitive global marketplace where student teams will serve as “economic consultants” to 50 countries. Their mission is to improve the standard of living of their country by applying the principles and strategies of international economics, politics and street-smart deal making.

Visitors are encouraged to observe this week’s summit event from 1-6:30 p.m. in the Jordan Ballroom. Teams will compete to form free market trade alliances, engage in rapid-fire export import trading, borrow from the Summit Bank, choose how to invest scarce resources in the most important long-term country development projects and demonstrate the power of knowledge and education when it comes to global economic competition.

The Idaho Council on Economic Education has served as an outreach program and center for Boise State’s College of Business and Economics and the College of Education since 1971. The council has teamed up with the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs to provide the Frank Church Economic Summit.

Every year more than 20,000 high school students and a few university students participate in one of the economic summit programs offered by Boise State and the Council for Economic Education. Summit locations include the University of Southern California, San Jose State, Harvard University, Mississippi State, as well as Idaho’s public universities. On Dec. 14 Boise State’s Council on Economic Education will stage the New England International Economic Summit for 500 students at the New England Patriot’s Stadium near Boston.

Traditional sponsors of the International Economic Summit include Wells Fargo Bank, US Bank, CitiCards. This week’s summit is sponsored by the Frank Church Institute.

For more information, visit www.econsummit.org or call the Idaho Council on Economic Education at 426-1193.