"Part of REYS' purpose is to provide students with activities that equip them with practical life skills," said Hannah Wheeler, program and communication coordinator for Rainbow's End Youth Services (REYS). With that in mind, the organization held its first Financial Reality Fair earlier this summer.

The idea for the event came about after REYS executive director Cristina Paden connected with Steve Turpin at Lanco Federal Credit Union in Lancaster. "He mentioned that he has done financial literacy activities at schools, and I asked for more information about the fair," Paden recalled. "When I saw how awesome it was, I asked him if he'd do it for REYS. He said yes."

For the fair, students in grades six through 12 had the opportunity to imagine what life would be like if they were adults living on their own. Each student was given a packet detailing his or her career, annual salary and current financial status. Students traveled to different stations where they had to make decisions based on their financial means.

"They had to choose their lifestyle and where from their budget this money would be coming from at each station - housing, transportation, entertainment, phone plans, Wi-Fi technology, clothing and food," Wheeler explained. After they visited all of the stations, students met with a financial adviser to discuss how much money they had left to save or spend each month after their expenses.

"Some students did well in using their means wisely, while others made the wise decision to get a 'part-time job' or go back to the different stations to decrease their spending due to their lack of ability to save monthly," Wheeler noted.

Wheeler remarked that the not only did the students have fun at the financial fair, but they also were proud of being able to make smart spending decisions within their given budgets. "It was encouraging to see the students gain confidence in their abilities to think critically and make wise financial decisions and sacrifices," she said. "It was almost like an 'I can do this' response from the students."

Above all, the activity helped REYS continue its mission to serve and support students. "We are always looking to give students experiences and tools that will help them be successful in life," said Paden. "We are always excited to partner with people and organizations who have unique areas of expertise, like our friends at Lanco Federal Credit Union, who are willing to share their knowledge with our students."

Located at 105 Fairview St., REYS provides faith-based programming for students in grades one through 12. For more information, visit https://reys.org.