By Talitha Oliveri

What is STREAM and what does that look like for a future career? Who should students speak ..with to gain insight into career paths? How does a young adult pay for monthly expenses, contribute money to a 401k and emergency savings fund, and maintain a good quality of life?

These are questions Hopedale Junior Senior High School Business Capstone and Project Management students have been working hard to answer. Over the past months, three student teams have been hard at work coordinating educational fairs and activities for students in grades 1-12. The Growing Minds Fair, Career Fair, and FinFit Fair individually reach different age groups, but the overarching goal is the same - to prepare and educate students on careers and how those choices impact their future financial well-being.

Below are the dates and brief descriptions of each event.

FinFit Fair: 12/8/23 from 8am-12pm at the Draper Gymnasium

The FinFit Fair is an interactive simulation of students’ lives at 25 years old that exposes them to the types of monetary decisions they will make as young adults. The goal of the fair is to introduce students to smart spending decisions and to educate them on basic financial literacy skills they will need as soon-to-be-graduates. - Fair Coordinators: Will Adamski, Matt Carroll, and Kyle Maloney

Career Fair: 12/15/23 from 7:45 am-11:00 am in the High School Cafeteria

The Career Fair is an introduction to career fields students may go into after high school.

Students in 9th and 10th grade will have the opportunity to speak to career professionals one-on-one in the cafeteria at booths, participate in mock interviews, and have an in-depth presentation from a speaker panel of other professionals. Additionally, students in the 7th and 8th grades will participate in a career talk with professionals to educate them on future career opportunities. Fair Coordinators: Alexandra Goode, Emma Gosselin, and Antonia Rolo

Growing Minds: 12/20/23 from 3pm-5pm at the Memorial Elementary School

The Growing Minds Fair has partnered with non-profit organizations Children Across America and DCU For Kids to engage children in grades 1-5 in fun STREAM-based activities. The Growing Minds Fair not only teaches these young students about STREAM but introduces it to them at a young age to spark interest in their future. This fair teaches these young individuals about science, technology, research, engineering, art, and math. Fair Coordinators: Jonathan Araujo, Daniel Carroll and Brayden Lewis

Community members are invited to attend each of these events to see our students as they practice financial literacy skills, learn more about their future career opportunities, and participate in STREAM activities. For more information or to attend, please reach out to Business Capstone and Project Management teacher Talitha Oliveri at [email protected]