In partnership with Great Falls Public Schools and its Prosperity Matters Initiative partners, United Way of Cascade County provided high school students from Great Falls and regional schools with an interactive experience in budgeting during a Financial Reality Fair, Tuesday, March 11.
Each student is given a career and a family size to build a personal budget. Students must complete a budget sheet for 3 months, requiring them to live within their monthly salary while paying for basics such as housing, utilities, transportation, food and other expenses.
Throughout the fair, life changing chance cards, ranging from getting a bonus to paying for a flat tire, will impact their experience and students must learn to balance their wants and needs to live on their own. They will interact with volunteers who will explain the need for insurance, guide them to available resources and coach them to make smart financial decisions.
The Reality Fairs are part of the new revised financial literacy curriculum that changed in response to 2023 legislation, which requires all students to complete a financial literacy course to graduate.
More than 130 students from Paris Gibson Education Center, Foothills Community Christian School and six regional schools participated March 11 at Paris Gibson Education Center as part of their financial literacy course final. Rural high schools participating include: Belt, Big Sandy, Cascade, Geraldine, Power and Sun River/Simms.
Reality Fairs will take place at local high schools at least twice every school year and eventually, all students will participate.
More than 20 businesses and agencies are supporting the Reality Fair, providing volunteers and information about car prices and how credit scores impact costs. The partners collaborated to expand on a Montana Credit Union Association model program.
The partners include: ADF, Bravera Bank, Cascade County Aging Services, City-County Health Department, Clearwater Credit Union, College & Career Readiness Center, DA Davidson, Dascoulias Realty, Family Connections, Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Great Falls Public Schools, Great Falls Rescue Mission, Green Apple Counseling, HUB International, Kairos Youth Services, Marsh & McLennan, Montana Credit Union, MSU Extension, Montana Department of Labor & Industry, NeighborWorks GF, Opportunities, Inc, Opportunity Bank and US Bank, Rural Dynamics, Russell Country Federal Credit Union and University of Providence.
To volunteer for future Reality Fairs, contact United Way Community Impact Director Lacey Hallett at 406-727-3400 or lacey.hallett@uwccmt.org.