It’s not easy investing in the volatile stock market these days.

But 2,305 students from grades 3 through 12 are giving it their best shot this fall in the Hawaii Stock Market Simulation program that began Monday.

There are 887 teams, consisting of two to four students, from 35 schools and organizations across the state picking investments in their hypothetical $100,000 portfolio. The students from Oahu, Hawaii island and Maui are being mentored by 40 teachers. The 10-week program ends Dec. 2.

Registration remains open for new teachers who still want to sign up.

The Hawaii Council on Economic Education, which administers the program, has offered the Hawaii SMS at no cost to teachers since 2000. The program differs from other online stock-picking competitions in that it is educational in nature and emphasizes teacher guidance throughout the investment process. The Hawaii SMS can be correlated to content and performance standards for math, economics, social studies and history, according to the HCEE.

The Stock Market Simulation program started in Hawaii with 183 students and has grown steadily.

Students participate in several investor categories. At the high school level, students take a survey to determine their personal investment style in order to decide in which division they should compete. The aggressive division requires that portfolios contain 80 percent stocks and 20 percent bonds. The growth-division portfolio must contain 65 percent stocks and 35 percent bonds.

The income/growth division requires 50 percent stocks and 50 percent bonds. At the elementary and middle school level, student portfolios do not have to contain bonds.

At the end of the 10-week period, first- and second-place team members in each division receive $100 and $50 savings bonds.

Rankings are updated online daily at hawaiisms.com.