Financial Facts of Life!

Oak Ridge and Excelsior middle schoolers are quickly finding out how decisions they’ll be making in the near future can affect their lifestyle for years to come.

8th-graders have been working with school counselors on career interest assessments throughout the year. In this final exercise, the students were given a budget form listing their chosen occupation and the average starting salary for that job.

The kids visited various booths that presented high, low and mid-range monthly options in financial categories we all must face each month. These included transportation, gasoline, housing, insurance, utilities, feeding an emergency fund, and more.

As part of their “typical” financial month, the kids were asked to spin the “wheel of reality.” It was filled with good news like a $50 birthday gift but it also included terrible news such as a $1000.00 hospital bill.

 

After all that, the students calculated whether their financial choices would fit into their monthly budget. A team of financial advisers was on hand to meet with each student to offer subtle suggestions on making their paycheck last for the entire month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The event was hosted by the Workplace Learning Connection at the Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center in Hiawatha.