On May 22nd, fifty GHS juniors attended the Annual Credit for Life Fair, held by Institution for Savings and located at Salem State University. Students across the north shore were welcomed to attend this event, in hopes to obtain further education on future financial reality.
This institution for savings interactive event, is the largest event of its kind in Massachusetts. Salem state hosted over 1000 students in their gymnasium on Thursday morning.
The objective of the event was to simulate life as a 25-year-old adult. With a “paycheck” you will “spend” on everything you need – transportation, food, housing, lifestyle and so much more. Students practiced saving, spending, security, working, and even bargaining.
Online there are countless scams anyone can fall for. At credit for life students learn how to use the correct services, how to use their bank accounts, and so much more. There are possibilities to fall into debt as well as other real life scenarios people may encounter in their near future.
“I was interested in all the options, it was open to all different lifestyles and paths of life you can go down,” GHS junior Isla Black said. “ It was cool to navigate which was most important to me.”
At the orientation, juniors were given the opportunity to choose their career that they will have at the fair on creditforlife.org. Their careers came with income, checking account, savings account, retirement fund, and taxes. All of these must be managed throughout the event.
The goal? To help juniors obtain the knowledge and skills to balance their budget.
The “bigger goal” was to “introduce real-world money management and budgeting skills before you graduate high school.” said Laura Carlson.
In the end, a consultant checks over your progress, and you are told what you have done right and what you can fix. The learning opportunities are endless.
