News/Events

Vineland, NJ (May 10, 2011) – Area teens participated in a fun, hands-on program that teaches students about personal finances and budgeting when the Reality Fair came to Pineland Learning Center (PLC) on Wednesday, May 4th. The New Jersey Credit Union League hosted the fair for PLC high school students and visiting students from the Success Program in Vineland.

“The Reality Fair is a fun, interactive way to give our students a real understanding of day-to-day costs and budget management,” said Mary Lou Pierce, Curriculum Supervisor of grades 9-12 at PLC. “The fair is an interactive way for us to prepare students for the transition from school into adult life.”

To kick off the Reality Fair, representatives from the New Jersey Credit Union League gave each participating PLC high school student a monthly budget worksheet with randomly-assigned potential financial situations and a credit score. Next, the students visited multiple tables with hypothetical expenses like health care, higher education, housing, clothing and food, and recreation. Students were also given the option of acquiring a part-time job to earn extra income.

“The Fair provides a great opportunity for each student to experience some of the financial challenges they will face when they start life on their own,” said Angel Santos, Business Consultant with the New Jersey Credit Union League. “It teaches students how to budget and encourages them to build their savings; two important components of a responsible financial lifestyle.”

When all of their incomes and expenses were determined, students visited the “wheel of reality,” where chance determined whether they earned extra money or had to pay for an unexpected expense. Potential scenarios included receiving money from their grandmother on their birthday or blowing out a tire and having to pay for its repair.

Once the students’ expenses were finalized and their luck determined with the wheel of reality, they met with financial counselors from the New Jersey Credit Union League to put together budgets and prioritize lifestyle spending. The counselors, from credit unions across New Jersey, discussed the importance of financial management and shared tips for saving money with the students.

New Jersey’s credit unions serve 1.2 million members throughout the state with financial products and services. They offer a popular alternative to traditional banks with better rates and lower fees than other institutions. For more information, visit www.findacreditunion.com.

Pineland Learning Center, with campuses in Vineland and Carmel, is a private, non-sectarian day school educating at-risk students from kindergarten to twelfth grade from Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Cape May and Salem Counties. For 30 years, they have designed programs to fulfill the educational, social and emotional needs of their students, thereby becoming part of their teaching success. The goal of PLC is to help students discover and reach their own level of success. For each and every student that comes through the door, Pineland is a place where they are guaranteed an opportunity to grow as an individual with the support of a staff dedicated to achieving positive and measurable results. Pineland Learning Center is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers and the New Jersey Based Association of Schools and Agencies Serving the Handicapped. More information is available by calling (856) 378-5020 or on the web at www.pinelandschool.org.