ANSONIO, Conn.– Students at Ansonia High School recently took a glimpse into their future by attending a Financial Reality Fair sponsored by Sikorsky Credit Union, which has taken a leadership role in promoting financial literacy to area high school students. This is the third straight year that Sikorsky Credit Union has held a Reality Fair for students in Ansonia, and the eighth year the CU has held these 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 increases or decreases their cash flow and simulated unexpected events and expenses that occur in day-to-day life. After they visit 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.
In addition to Ansonia High School, Sikorsky Credit Union recently held Reality Fairs for high schools in Danbury, Oxford, Seymour and Stratford.