Empowering young people’s financial futures through Adulting 101 game

I discovered my fondness for working with children in middle school when I had the opportunity to work with teachers in younger classes and help students work through different activities. I honed my love for teaching in college while studying to become an early childhood education teacher, and my passion for personal finance came alive when I joined the credit union movement in 2015 after accepting a job at Corning Credit Union. It only seemed natural that I’d find myself in the financial education space in due time, and I’ve been a passionate force in helping students take ownership of their financial decisions and opportunities ever since.

Whenever I start working with a new group of students, I always tell them the same thing: “It’s not my job to tell you what to do.” And that’s true; I can’t make money decisions for them. It’s their money and they are working toward their own goals. However, I tell them that it is my job to help them achieve whatever goals they have by answering their questions and providing them with resources to help them make their own choices. One of the most effective ways I have found to do this is by helping students practice making these choices before they’re doing it for real with their own hard-earned money.

How can we present students with opportunities to practice making financial decisions? My personal favorite option is to bring a reality fair to the classroom. Reality fairs are simply finance-based life simulations. Students are given details about a life in the future where they have income, debt, families and other obligations. They are then tasked with making decisions about what they can afford within their budget. Where will they live? What will they drive? What food will they eat? In addition to making these kinds of decisions, students practice keeping a register, writing checks and many other important life skills. As adults, we are all aware of exactly how difficult sticking to a budget can be, but what happens when you ask a teenager to try their hand at it? You’ll very quickly realize that it’s a skill that needs to be practiced. High school students typically excel in reality fairs. The topic of managing money is top of mind for this age group who are looking to start becoming more independent as
they get ready to graduate. But what about younger students?

 

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