November 15, 2023
Stillwater, Minn. – Royal Credit Union (Royal) and Stillwater Area High School partnered for the first time to present students with a signature financial education experience Test Drive…Next Stop Reality® (Test Drive). Test Drive is a simulation of real life when it comes to money and finances. The event was held on Tuesday, November 14 at Stillwater Area High School. It was the largest Test Drive event Royal has ever hosted with the entire SAHS junior class participating and nearly 200 volunteers staffing the event. In addition to Royal team members, many members of the Stillwater community volunteered to help throughout the day.
“Test Drive Reality Fair is exactly what students need for life and to better understand opportunities in the labor market” said Bob Manning, Career Pathways Coordinator at Stillwater Area High School. “Student engagement is off the charts as they learn what a salary really means when one is responsible for the array of expenses they will face as adults. With this context, they will be more receptive to career conversations with employers and the examples of salaries and benefits available to young people today.”
Test Drive is a hands-on experience in which students select a career and research the education needed and realistic salary that would come from that career. The students are then randomly assigned a family status and required to live within their monthly salary while paying for basics such as housing, utilities, transportation, clothing, and food. Additional expenditures such as entertainment, pets, and unexpected expenses are also factored into the simulated activity. The booths are staffed by volunteers ready to help the students make decisions and offer guidance as students are faced with difficult decisions.
“We are proud to partner with Stillwater Area High School to offer students this engaging, experiential learning opportunity,” said Deb Paulsen, Community Financial Education Coordinator at Royal. “Royal Credit Union developed Test Drive…Next Stop Reality® so that students learn to balance their wants and needs, understand what it takes to make it on their own and better prepare for their future.”
Royal offers a wide variety of free financial education for all ages and stages of life. A full list of financial programming can be found at www.rcu.org/FinEd.
About Royal Credit Union
Royal Credit Union is a federally insured credit union proudly serving over 300,000 Members in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Royal is driven by a core ideology built on a strong purpose and values. You can open an account or apply for a low-rate loan at Royal Credit Union if you live or work in 26 counties in western Wisconsin or 16 counties in Minnesota. Counties served in Wisconsin include Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Wood. Counties served in Minnesota include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Wabasha, Washington, Winona and Wright. A complete list of Member eligibility requirements is available on the Royal Credit Union website. To learn more about Royal, visit rcu.org or call 800-341-9911.
