Richmond Middle School eighth graders recently participated in the school’s first Reality Fair, an interactive program designed to help students understand the financial decisions adults face when balancing income and everyday expenses. The program was held at the middle school and organized through a partnership with Community Bank of Missouri. School leaders introduced the activity with a pre-survey on March 10, followed by the Reality Fair the next day in the school gym. After completing the simulation, students returned to their classrooms to complete a post-survey reflecting on what they learned from the experience. Principal Staci Maddux said the event was designed to help students begin thinking about how career choices and every- day expenses connect as they prepare to move on to high school. She explained the program is similar in concept to the School of Economics experience sixth-grade students participate in, but the Reality Fair focuses more directly on helping eighth…