The Mad City Money overview reads as follows:
"You're a high school student who has just been transported into the future with your friends. Some of you have just graduated from college or technical school. Some of you are married. All of you already have kids. You've just started your first full-time job. You're earning money and have bills to pay. Now you have to select housing, transportation, food, household necessities, clothing, day care, and other wants and needs. Lots of choices to make. Oh, and you need to build a budget based on your income and debt. Welcome to Mad City Money!"
Susquehanna Valley High School seniors got a close up and personal view of what the future holds April 1, as they walked into the high school gymnasium, which became - for a couple of hours - Mad City. On the way in the door, the students picked up a new identity: an "about me" sheet describing their occupation and salary, debts, costs of medical insurance, and marital status. And they also picked out a "child" they're now completely responsible for. Mad City is a simulation structured to give students 15-18 an overview of the additional responsibilities that await them as they enter the next phase of their lives. SV High Principal Sydelle Steward jumped at the chance to have the Mad City Money team from Empower, a division of Horizons FCU visit SV.
Saber seniors' objectives included: building a realistic monthly budget based on their income and expenses, experience the consequences of poor decisions, not living above their means, etc. They had to stay within the confines of their budget as they visited nine Mad City merchants to purchase housing, transportation, food, day care, and other needs. And wandering among them was the Fickle Finger of Fate (played to perfection by a caped Assistant Superintendent Natalie Brubaker), who randomly visited each participant with unexpected windfalls and unplanned expenses. Photos from the event are on our Photo Galleries page.