The fair is seeking professionals who can help work with students

Ashland High School is working to put together our seventh annual "Financial Reality Fair" for the graduating seniors. This event will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the high school, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Each senior will receive a paycheck and credit score before navigating various booths where they will have to make financial decisions (renting an apartment, getting a car, getting insurance, etc.) to balance a monthly budget. Each year, students overwhelmingly agree that the fair is informative, and they take away tools and lessons they will use throughout their lives.

To run this event successfully, we need help from the community. We are looking for professionals who can work with the students to help them make financial decisions and help guide them along the way. Specifically, we are looking for anyone with a background in housing (realtors), furniture, food, insurance (renter's insurance and auto insurance), clothing, transportation, charity/community service, civic engagement, education (paying for college), luxuries (vacation, entertainment, pets), military, utilities (internet/phone/cable/gas/electricity), personal savings, retirement savings, or budgeting. In addition, we are also looking for anyone who is willing to help out as a "general volunteer." These "general volunteers" will be trained by the professionals at their booth and will then be able to engage in financial conversations with students, helping them make decisions.

For more information (including videos from the previous events) and to sign-up to volunteer, visit our website at: https://sites.google.com/ashland.k12.ma.us/reality-fair/

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Lauren Giombetti ([email protected]) or Josh Wiczer ([email protected])