United Way of Pioneer Valley Debuts ‘A Day in the Life’ Program

FRAMINGHAM — United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) participated in the MassSaves Summit for financial literacy, where it debuted a new program aimed at those in need of personal financial education. “A Day in the Life” is an interactive demonstration which introduces people to the fundamentals of financial wellness.

The program operates like a game, where participants are given a hypothetical income and debt load, and are then presented with a series of simulated life events. They are then asked to consider how to best manage their budgets and priorities, and how to prepare for and deal with unexpected expenses. For some participants, this may be the first time they’ve been asked to think critically about personal-finance issues and long-term planning.

According to Jennifer Kinsman, UWPV’s Community Impact director, “the program generated a lot of interest, particularly from educators across the state who expressed a desire to use ‘A Day in the Life’ as a classroom teaching tool. We also look forward to presenting this tool to people interested in supporting UWPV’s work in financial wellness so they can get a true sense of the work we do.”

“A Day in the Life” is the most recent addition to a suite of programs and services offered or sponsored by UWPV, in its mission to promote financial wellness. It was created within the Thrive initiative, a regional program which promotes financial literacy and success through free and confidential one-on-one coaching.