Bite of Reality

Financial literacy is something our students need help with, and frankly something many adults need help with as well. In partnership with Cal Coast Credit Union, the Education to Employment lab (E2E) at Kearny High School hosted a “Bite of Reality” workshop for 10th grade students around this concept. The lab got transformed into a shopping mall with booths representing the essentials, such as food and housing, as well as the fun aspects of life, such as trips to Hawaii and luxury cars. Students were given a persona with a salary, family members, and debt upon entering the experience. Each booth was represented by volunteer “merchants” tasked with trying to upsell students on their choices, just like in real life. “Wouldn’t it be fun to own this brand new car, all shiny and fancy? It is under warranty, not this like used old, dirty car that is going to need a lot of repairs,” student volunteers were overheard saying as others shopped at their booth. The learning was two-fold. 10th grade students that participated in the program learned a bit more about how much things cost and how to budget wisely especially when they went over budget and needed to visit the credit union booth to get some counseling. The volunteers learned communication, empathy, and negotiation. Many volunteers even ended up wanting to go through the program themselves. Everyone had a great experience and E2E is excited to host Cal Coast Credit Union again in the future. If you are interested in booking a Bite of Reality at your school contact Candice Fee, E2E Coordinator, at cfee2@sandi.net.