Over 3,100 students tested their budgeting skills with Royal’s suite of Test Drive…Next Stop Reality® (Test Drive) programs, including Test Drive…Next Stop Reality®, Test Drive Mobile, Test Drive Express, and Test Drive Digital. The various versions of our program allow students and teachers to select the one that best fits their needs, offering in-person, virtual, Royal instructor-led, classroom teacher-led, synchronous, or asynchronous options. Test Drive is a real-life simulation of money and finances, allowing students to “test drive” their future to see if they have what it takes to make it through a month as a 25-year-old. During the simulation, students choose a career they could see themselves working towards and research their future salary as well as the cost of the education required to get there. They are randomly assigned a family status and may have to budget for additional family members.
We were thrilled to bring our event to White Bear Lake Area High School for the first time in December. Over 650 students participated in the event under the guidance of nearly 200 community volunteers. “It was such a pleasure to have our Career Pathways program partner with Royal Credit Union to offer the Test Drive Reality Fair to the junior class,” said Katy Olson, Career Pathways Coordinator at White Bear Lake Area High School. “The school was buzzing with students excited to share their personal experiences with peers and teachers after their eyes were opened to so many important financial decisions that they will soon be facing. This event will certainly help shape and perhaps influence the path students take after high school.”
We have already kicked off our first event of 2025 with 200 students completing the event at Hudson High School. We are excited to continue making a positive impact on students in our community this year!
For more information on Test Drive or our full list of financial education programming, visit www.rcu.org/FinEd.
