(Cazenovia, NY – Jan. 2013) FocalPoint Federal Credit Union and Cazenovia High School are teaming up to give Cazenovia teens a taste of the real world, at the second annual “Mad City” simulated life event on Friday Jan. 11 at the high school.
Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., students in teacher Christina New’s business classes will gather in the gymnasium to be temporarily transported into their future lives in “Mad City,” a simulated town with “merchants” staffed by volunteers from real local businesses. Students will be given packets complete with their “life” details: occupation, salary, spouse and/or children, student loan debt, credit card debt, medical insurance payments, etc.
The challenge for students will be to visit merchants to select housing, transportation, food, household necessities, clothing, day care, and other wants and needs, while maintaining a budget and saving for the future. Students will write checks for their purchases, and must balance both their checkbooks and their budgets.
Focal Point Federal Credit Union will staff an “office” in Mad City and offer financial budgeting guidance to struggling participants.