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Pottstown High School students learn about finances in the real world

Diamond Credit Union, Tri County Area Federal Credit Union, and the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation sponsored a Financial Reality Fair at Pottstown High School

As part of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation’s Financial Reality Fair initiative, Diamond Credit Union and Tri County Area Federal Credit Union joined forces to hold the first Fair in the Pottstown Area on Tuesday, March 31.

During the Reality Fair, more than 150 high school students participated in this “hands on” budgeting experience to learn more about personal financial management in a one-day “real world” environment. In preparation for the Reality Fair, Andrea Sawchuk, Diamond Credit Union Branch Manager, visited the classroom to help students choose an education level, career, and salary. Students were then provided with an in-depth budgeting sheet, including their choices when they entered the Reality Fair. This “real world” exercise had each student budget his or her money wisely to make ends meet for one month. Students were required to find a place to live, obtain transportation, and pay for food and other essentials, as they visited 18 booths to obtain goods and services needed in everyday life. After visiting all of the booths, students balanced their budgets and reviewed their worksheet with a financial counselor.

“This event has been a great example of teamwork. We can’t thank the teachers, administrators, and students at Pottstown High School enough for welcoming us. Working with the Foundation and Tri County has been a great experience, and we can’t wait to see how much this event can grow in future years, “stated John Faust, President/CEO of Diamond Credit Union.

“The Reality Fair is a perfect example of credit unions working together to teach financial literacy to students. The students had the opportunity to work through real budget scenarios and make some tough decisions. I was impressed with how financially savvy most of the students were. We look forward to being involved with another Reality Fair in the future,” said Andrew C. Pistoria, President/CEO of Tri County Area Federal Credit Union.

The Reality Fair was coordinated by the marketing teams from Diamond Credit Union and Tri County Area Federal Credit Union, andmade possible by the guidance of John Kebles, REAL Solutions Program Manager at the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association Foundation. Volunteers included employees from both Diamond Credit Union and Tri County Area Federal Credit Union, a Board Member from People First Federal Credit Union, and a representative from Wrigley’s Office Supply. T‐shirts, student gift bags, andwater bottles for the event were donated by Wrigley’s Office Supply.