A DOSE OF REALITY FOR OUR JUNIORS AT DDHS
The entire Delavan-Darien High School junior class will be participating in a “Reality Fair” on Tuesday, November 20, 2019, from 7:45-11:00 a.m. at DDHS.
Business Education faculty at DDHS are coordinating the event, which will give students a perspective on what life is like after high school. “The Reality Fair gives students an example of the many bills to pay and day-to-day challenges adults solve every day that kids might not have ever considered,” said DDHS business teacher Jodi Scott.
Each student will select a career and then they will be randomly assigned a marital status, credit score, and more. They must use their assigned monthly salary to “live” on during the fair. By the end of the experience, the objective is to have a greater-than-zero balance in the “bank.”
Students are encouraged to be honest about their future plans. Some just say they’ll be doctors or lawyers, feeling that these are high-paying jobs, and they are, but there are also steep college loans associated with those careers. Students are given that debt and other debts, too.
During the fair, students go from station to station, which represent different aspects of American life, including such things as transportation, insurance, utilities, housing, childcare, unforeseen or “fate” events, and others. They are given different scenarios, including costs, at each station. Some may have serious health issues, or have costly home repairs, or have to pay for daycare. As students go station-to-station, they use an app called “Bite of Reality 2” that represents their bank account, provided by event sponsor, Educators Credit Union.
Many students start these activities with the idea that ‘they know all of this,’ and that ‘it will be easy,” Scott said. Students quickly find that it is more challenging than they would have believed. It shows them the reality of personal finance and balancing budgets and life.
As in life, students might not always get what they want, but they certainly do get a lesson in real life at the Delavan-Darien Reality Fair.
VOLUNTEER: You Can Help!
We need volunteers to help manage the various table stations. If you wish to help out, please contact DDHS business education teacher Jodi Scott at 262-233-6634, or via email at jscott@ddschools.org.