Hamilton High School seniors had the opportunity to participate in the Citizens Bank’s Real Life 101 Personal Finance Simulation on May 21 in the school gymnasium. The goal of the experience was to help students apply personal finance concepts in a fun, realistic and eye-opening way as they prepare for life after high school.
“We are always looking for engaging ways to bring real world experiences and decision making skills to life for our students,” explains Hamilton High School Associate Principal and Extended Learning Coordinator Marquea Goike. “The Personal Finance Simulation was such a great experience for our oldest students who are only a few short weeks away from graduating. The lessons they learned about budgeting and financial planning will undoubtedly stick with them as they transition to this next step in their journeys.”
The interactive personal finance simulation provided students an opportunity to pretend to live for one month in the real world and make financial decisions related to housing, transportation, insurance, childcare, groceries, utilities, entertainment and more. Each student was assigned a career, a salary and a family scenario. They spent approximately one hour, rotating through 20 different stations, conversing with parent volunteers and staff about various financial scenarios.
School Resource Officer Deputy Leah Estes contributed to the simulation by issuing fictitious citations to students, providing a valuable lesson in budgeting for unexpected expenses.
“This event was an incredible success,” said Goike. “Many of the scenarios provided students with eye-opening experiences that highlighted the realities and responsibilities of adulthood. It was rewarding to see meaningful learning taking place in real time as students developed critical thinking, budgeting and decision-making skills. We are excited to continue building on this experience and hope to make it an annual opportunity for our seniors.”