STSD high school students worked with PSECU employees to navigate 14 stations of financial responsibility during the Financial Reality Fair on April 19, 2023.
(Harrisburg, PA – April 20, 2023) - As part of PSECU’s ongoing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) initiative, and in honor of Credit Union Youth Month, PSECU held a Financial Reality Fair in partnership with the Susquehanna Township School District (STSD) and the Hanna Foundation on April 19, 2023.
“Our goal with offering this programming is to deepen our relationship with our local school district, understanding that financial education is a vital part of ensuring our young people are fully prepared for life after high school,” said Karen Rousche, PSECU Community Relations Coordinator and DIB Community Involvement Committee leader.
The fair took place in two separate sessions, each two hours long, and featured 14 different stations for the high-school participants to peruse. Each station represents a life choice that the student must make (housing, food, entertainment, etc.).
The hands-on experience asks students to choose a career and starting salary. They are then given a budget sheet which requires them to live within their monthly salary all while accounting for expenses such as housing, utilities, transportation, clothing, and food. Students then take into consideration the potential additional expenditure categories like dining out, attending college, paying down debt, and participating in social activities.
PSECU employees act as mentors/financial counselors for the students as they move through the experience. The fair represents an opportunity for each student to navigate some of the financial challenges they may face when they begin life on their own.
“Credit Union Youth Month is a great time for us to engage with the students at Susquehanna Township High School to encourage their financial wellness. We ran a similar program in the fall and had such a great response from the students who participated, it made sense to do this again,” continued Rousche. “The credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’ drives us to provide outreach like this on an ongoing basis, encouraging anyone to whom we deliver financial education resources to achieve more.”