ANSONIA, Conn.--Students at Ansonia High School took a glimpse into their future by attending a Financial Reality Fair, sponsored by Sikorsky Credit Union. This is the second straight year that Sikorsky Credit Union has held a Reality Fair for students at Ansonia High School, and the seventh year the Credit Union has held the fairs overall.
The Financial Reality Fair gives students the opportunity to experience “real-life” finances based on their chosen profession. During the Reality Fair, students visit expense tables to spend their "hard earned money" on real-life choices, such as housing, transportation, food, and utilities. They are tempted along the way with nonessential expenses including pet ownership, electronics, concert tickets and vacations. Students also step up to spin the "Wheel of Reality," which increased or decreased their cash flow and simulated unexpected events and expenses that occur in day-to-day life. After they visited all of the expense tables, the students balance their budgets to see if they made the right choices to successfully live on their own. Finally, students meet with volunteer financial counselors to review how well they managed their budget. In the end, students walk away with an awareness of the financial challenges they will face and the experience of maintaining a lifestyle based on a budget.
Along with Sikorsky Credit Union staff, employees from Liberty Mutual volunteered time at the event. In addition to Ansonia High School, Sikorsky Credit Union held Financial Reality Fairs at 5 other local high schools this spring, with over 1,000 students going participating in the activity.