Event Report - Reality Fair
Posted by Laura Spear
Nashoba Valley Club Holds 2nd Annual Reality Fair
With about 45 volunteers from the community and other Rotary clubs across the district and beyond, the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley held its 2014 Reality Fair at Nashoba Regional High School on Friday, March 14.
See and hear more at District Conference May 16 - 18, 2014
The Reality Fair was a financial management event for the high school’s sophomore class, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, Nashoba Regional High School, and Clinton Savings Bank with additional support from Family Federal Savings Bank and Roche Bros. The objective was to give students a better understanding of the financial responsibilities they will face in the real world.
“Students used the high school’s college and career portal to select a career and salary. On the day of the fair, they got a paycheck based on the career that they selected,” explained Laura Spear, President of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley. “The paycheck equaled their monthly salary and showed deducted taxes. With this money, they had to pay for housing, utilities, insurance, transportation, clothing, and food. They were also tempted with “nice-to-have” luxuries, such as pets, travel, sporting events, and gym memberships, and they had to spin a Wheel of Fortune to help them understand life’s unexpected expenses. It was a real eye opener for most of them, and they really took it seriously!”
After students visited the various tables at the fair, they balanced their budgets and reviewed their spreadsheets with a credit counselor. Upon completion, each student gained greater financial literacy and appreciation for future financial decisions.
For more photos, visit www.facebook.com/nashobarotary.