Fairfield, CA - Grange Middle School's 8th graders had an engaging and insightful experience at a recent financial literacy event, designed to teach them the basics of earning, saving, spending, and borrowing. The event, hosted in partnership with Travis Credit Union and the Solano County Office of Education (SCOE), featured an interactive simulation where students navigated real-life financial decisions, reinforcing classroom learning with hands-on practice.
The event began with a one-hour presentation that introduced students to fundamental financial concepts, providing a solid foundation for the simulation that followed. During the simulation, students were given a profile with a career, salary, credit score, and sometimes a spouse or children. With this information, they visited various "lifestyle" stations, where they had to make choices about housing, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, and entertainment, balancing their needs and wants.
Grange Middle School Principal, Heather Oja, appreciated the opportunity to engage students in a practical way. "The students were engaged and loved the simulation," she said. "We love hosting events that bring community partners into the school and create educational experiences for our students."
This interactive event was part of Grange Middle School's commitment to providing students with practical skills that will benefit them as they progress through life. "Financial literacy is a unit that all 8th-grade math students participate in but having a hands-on event makes their learning come to life," Principal Oja explained.