All Penn Manor 11th-graders learned real-world financial lessons on February 28 and March 1 when they participated in REAL Life, a financial literacy program sponsored by Junior Achievement of South Central PA.
Held in the high school gymnasium, REAL Life included exercises and games designed to help students understand how financial decisions will impact their lives during high school and into adulthood.
Students participated in a budgeting simulation called Budget Builder, in which they were assigned a unique life situation, including marital status, number of children (if any), education, employment, and income.
They had to determine how much of their income was available to them each month after taxes, and allocate their money as they completed their budget, led by an adult volunteer from the business world.
Another activity was “Is the Price Right?” In this competition, students worked in groups to try to guess the prices of common household items.
The 11th-graders also learned how to create their own personal “brand” and competed in REAL Life #Adulting, a Monopoly-style game in which they encountered financial challenges as they moved their game pieces around the board.
REAL Life also included a giant Jenga game activity in which teams answered questions about the “do’s” and “don’ts” of job interviewing to see which team could build the tallest tower.
These hands-on activities all were led by community volunteers.
“We are so grateful that our community aids us in providing great learning experiences for our students,” said Baron Jones, Penn Manor High School principal. “The REAL Life event helps students better grasp how life after high school works.”
Penn Manor would like to thank the volunteers and Junior Achievement for making this event possible.
REAL Life Adulting game exercise
