ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation and the Girl Scouts of the River Valley teamed up to provide Girl Scouts from throughout the metro area a chance to participate in Mad City Money, a financial literacy simulation similar to real-life.
More than 70 girl scouts in grades 6 through 11, from all over Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, participated in the event, which was put on by the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation and 30 female credit union volunteers representing 13 credit unions and the Minnesota Credit Union Network. The event was held at the Andover Community Center.
During the action packed, real life simulation, participants practiced budgeting as an adult with realistic circumstances like student loan debt, credit card debt, and the cost of medical insurance. The girls built a monthly budget based on their assigned incomes and family situations. They visited merchants in Mad City to purchase housing, transportation, food, day care and other needs, and visited the “Wheel of Fate” to face the unknown and unexpected windfalls and expenses that adult life brings.
With guidance from the experts from Minnesota’s Credit Unions, the girls experienced making decisions that helped or hindered their success, and worked towards earning a Budgeting, Financing My Future, or On My Own badge.
“It’s really important for our young women to see and interact with women professionals to learn about what their future could be like,” said Brenda Danner, Program Coordinator for Girl Scouts River Valleys. “What’s more, the credit union approach to financial education - being prepared for the unexpected and giving back to others when you have enough – also fits perfectly with what Girl Scouts is all about!”
Volunteers represented the following credit unions/organizations:
- Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
- City & County Credit Union
- Embarrass Vermillion Federal Credit Union
- Firefly Credit Union
- HBI Employees Credit Union
- Hermantown Federal Credit Union
- Hiway Federal Credit Union
- Minnesota Credit Union Network
- Minnesota Credit Union Foundation
- Royal Credit Union
- SharePoint Credit Union
- South Metro Federal Credit Union
- Topline Federal Credit Union
- United Educators Credit Union