24 September, 2015
FRAMINGHAM, MA - Keefe Regional Technical School Business Technology instructor
Margaret Ellis was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s
Financial Education Innovation Fund to host a “Reality Check” Fair on October 16, 2015, from
8:00 am to noon at the school. Additionally, TD Bank has added a $1,000 sponsorship to the
“Reality Check” Fair. The program, offered for the first time this year at Keefe, provides an
exciting and effective opportunity for members of the senior class to learn how to make realworld
financial decisions about saving, spending, and budgeting based upon career and lifestyle
decisions. The goal is to empower students to be proactive about their financial futures by
beginning to develop solid personal finance habits.
During the fair, Keefe Tech students will receive a mock paycheck and have the opportunity to
learn how to manage their income through various budget simulations. Volunteers from the
Framingham Rotary Club and the local business community will staff tables at the Fair and
advise students on how to make appropriate financial decisions based on their monthly income. A
realtor will help students choose a place to live, a banker will review checking accounts, loans
and credit, and an auto dealer will help students select a vehicle. Other business professionals will
assist students with purchasing food, clothing and insurance, and paying for utilities, telephone
and Internet services.
In advance of the fair, teachers and students will discuss personal financial literacy including:
how to budget, how to use credit, the importance of maintaining good credit and dealing with
life’s sometimes unexpected financial issues.
According to Ellis, who is also Keefe Tech’s Business Professionals of America co-advisor, “I
think it is so important to prepare our students for the real world by not only teaching them the
technical skills they will need for the workplace and further education but also the personal
financial awareness and skills they will need to be successful in today’s economy.”
The 2015 Keefe Tech “Reality Check” Fair was initiated by the Framingham Rotary Club with
the assistance of the Business Professionals of America, Keefe Tech Chapter. Co-sponsors of the
“Reality Check” Fair are Align Credit Union, Business Professionals of America, Metro Credit
Union, Needham Bank, Rotary International and TD Bank.
