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“Credit for Life Fairs” and “Reality Fairs” are a financial education opportunity for high school students. In this exercise students spend a semester learning the basics of personal finance. The semesters’ lesson culminates with students participating in an interactive fair or game in which they are given a salary and must visit vendors to decide what lifestyle choices their budget allows them. Among other things they must decide whether their budget permits them to own a house or if they should rent an apartment. Can they afford a car or is public transport more prudent? At the end of the exercise they sit down with financial advisors who go over their choices and help them understand the repercussions.
Caution with Credit and Massachusetts State Treasury commends the schools that have instituted these fairs and the cities and towns that have supported such a unique and wonderful concept. Now more than ever, we urge others to follow suit by observing a “Credit for Life/Reality” Fair in action and take the initiative to develop a fair in your city or town. Each of the following communities has being gracious enough to invite you to learn best practices and how to successfully deliver financial education to the students in their community.
If you would like to learn more about a fair near you, please contact The Treasury at 617 367 6900 or email: lmartin@tre.state.ma.us
Now let’s take a look at a “Credit for Life” Fair:
| 2012 Youth Financial Education Fairs in Massachusetts |
| Month / Day |
School |
Venue |
January 25th |
Mashpee High |
Mashpee High School |
March 15th |
New Bedford High |
New Bedford High School |
March 19th |
Danvers High School |
No Shore Comm College |
March 20th |
Cape Cod Tech High School |
Cape Cod Tech High School |
March 22nd |
Weymouth High School |
Weymouth Elks |
March 23rd |
Assabet Regional Tech High School |
Assabet Regional Tech High School |
March 29th |
Minnechaug Regional High School |
Minnechaug Regional High School |
March 29th |
N Attleboro High
Norton High
Foxboro High
Attleboro High |
Holiday Inn, Mansfield |
March 29th |
Quincy High School
No. Quincy High School |
Tirrell Room, Quincy |
March 29th |
Braintree High School |
Quincy Marriott |
April 5th |
Ware High School
Palmer JS
Pathfinder Regional High School |
Ware High School |
April 5th |
BMC Durfee High |
BMC Durfee High |
April 10th |
So Shore Vo Tech |
So Shore Vo Tech |
April 10th |
Triton Regional High School
Ipswich High School
Pentucket Regional High School
Newburyport High School |
Triton Regional High School |
April 11th |
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional
High School |
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional
High School |
April 11th |
Lowell High |
Tsongas Center U MA Lowell |
April 12th |
Quabbin Regional High School |
Quabbin Regional High School |
April 12th |
High School of Science and Technology
Commerce High School
Putnam High School |
Springfield Tech Comm College |
April 26th |
Holyoke High School
Dean Voc High School
West Springfield High School
South Hadley High School
Chicopee High School
East Hampton High School |
Holyoke Comm College |
April 26th |
Tantasqua Regional High School |
Tantasqua Regional High School |
April 26th |
Brockton High |
Massasoit Comm College, Brockton |
April 26th |
No. Attleboro High School |
North Attleboro High School |
May 10th |
Sandwich High School |
Sandwich High School
Camp Burgess location |
May 16th |
Nantucket High School |
Nantucket High School |
late October |
Marlboro High School |
Marlboro High School |
late November |
Dartmouth High School |
Dartmouth High School |
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