GFA and HEAL Winchendon Host a Reality Fair at Murdock High School
GFA Federal Credit Union partnered with HEAL Winchendon to host the first Financial Reality Fair at Murdock High School.
Approximately 80 juniors and seniors attended the fair.
“We were so excited to offer this engaging, experiential learning opportunity to our students,” said Mary Jane Rickson, Murdock High School Principal; “it was great to see the students interact with the community volunteers and learn to balance their wants and needs.”
Prior to the Reality Fair students selected a career path and were given a starting salary. Local businesses and organizations such as the Winchendon Police Department, HUB International, Growing Places and Franklin Pierce University volunteered to pose as vendors for the event.
During the fair students visited each vendor to find housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing and even a “Wheel of Reality.” The wheel offers opportunities, such as winning the lottery, or downfalls like a flat tire. The student’s goal is to make sure they can live on their budget while having some savings. The last stop of the fair is to the Credit Counselor table. The Credit Counselors check the student’s ledgers and make sure they were successful or advise on how to get their budget back on track.
“When GFA mentioned the Reality Fair to us at HEAL Winchendon we thought it would be a perfect collaboration,” said Miranda Jennings, Project Manager for HEAL Winchendon; “working hand in hand building on our shared strengths and knowledge to address the needs of the Winchendon community – what better way to do that then providing financial literacy to our youth.”