‘Mad Money’ simulation offers RHS students a glimpse of the future

Last Tuesday, while the freshman class traveled to the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and the junior class took on the ACT test, the Rhinelander High School sophomore class took a brief trip into the adult world where there’s always another bill waiting and checking account balances are constantly fluctuating.

Over the course of the last several years, Rhinelander Partners in Education (PIE), has worked together with dozens of local businesses, community volunteers, and school staff to organize a real-life “Game of Life” for high school students they call “Mad Money.” 

The all-day event starts in the gym where students are assigned an occupation with a set salary and starting checking account balance. They are also assigned a family scenario with varying numbers of children. After learning their assigned wage and the size of the family they have to support, the students make their through different life stages and learn how to make decisions about wants vs. needs in order to keep their household budgets in the black. They had to pay rent or make mortgage payments, obtain transportation and provide food, clothing and household necessities,

It is no secret that childcare is a hot topic and it held true in the simulation as the cost of childcare was often the second largest monthly expense the students had to accommodate.

With their assigned occupations, many students were right on the line of being accepted for childcare assistance, leading to disappointment when they had to pay over $600 per child per month. 

The general consensus among the students mirrored the struggle well-known to actual parents: “kids and childcare are expensive.”

Dylan Shefveland said his “Mad Money’ experience was “a little stressful, but I managed to work it all out.”

Caden Sieker also had a positive experience. Among other things, he learned that money can go a little farther if you choose less expensive items.

 “It opened my eyes to my expenses and how to manage money,” he said. “While the initial start was a little bit of a struggle to find out what the expectations are, I found that if I didn’t go for the most expensive options on purchases I found I could afford everything I needed monthly.”

The assigned life scenarios helped students understand that the work they are putting in now, as students, is a building block for their future and if they want to be able to afford pricier items they’re going to have to work hard to obtain the skills and education necessary to secure a higher paying job.

It didn’t take long for Dominick Hakala to see the bigger picture. 

“Even though I may not have as much money, it is clear that if you want a good paying job you have to have a nice education and to do that you have to try in school, so it doesn’t hurt to try,” he said.

Just like in the real world, the simulation also included plenty of unexpected occurrences that challenged the students’ coping skills.

Local police officers and sheriff deputies circulated through the crowd handing out tickets which students had to pay off before they could move forward. 

Sarah Morison from NRG Media appreciated the inclusion of the tickets

“I love that the police department is here giving out tickets and the other real-life experiences, like a leaky roof, that [students] have to adjust for,” she said. “It’s a really valuable experience for the kids to learn.”

Superintendent Eric Burke had not experienced an event like “Mad Money” before coming to Rhinelander. 

 “I just couldn’t visualize what the event looked like; there is nothing like this in any other school or community I have been in. I mean, what other community can you see businesses sending in employees for half a day to help run the event?” he said. “The support from local businesses make the event possible, which is something not all communities have.”

In addition to participating in the simulation, more than 30 business professionals held mock job interviews with the students, another sneak peek into what await them when they enter the adult world. 

The event also included an activity based on the TV show “Shark Tank”.

Individually or as part of a group, students designed and pitched their own inventions.