Over 130 students from Toll Gate High School participated in the 14th Annual CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Fair on April 30th sponsored by Wave Federal Credit Union which coincided with National Financial Literacy Month. National Financial Literacy month is recognized each year in April to raise public awareness of the importance of financial literacy and maintaining smart money management habits.

During the 2023-2024 academic school year, Wave Federal Credit Union sponsored Winter and Spring Financial Education Fairs at both Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools with more than 600 participating students. David Dupéré, President and CEO of Wave Federal Credit Union, said the credit union is proud to sponsor this rewarding educational program in the Warwick Public School District in collaboration with school administrators and teachers from both high schools.

The Toll Gate High School Spring Financial Education Fair was attended by city and state elected officials and school administrators that included The Honorable James Diossa, General Treasurer, The Honorable Frank Picozzi, Mayor of the City of Warwick, Lynn Dambruch, Superintendent of Schools, and Candace Caluori. Principal of Toll Gate High School. During the welcoming, they spoke about how important to prepare students for the financial challenges they will face as adults. Mayor Picozzi presented a proclamation to Toll Gate High School proclaiming April 30, 2024, as Toll Gate High School Financial Literacy Day in the City of Warwick.

Sponsored by Wave Federal Credit Union, the CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Fair is the culminating event that places students through a realistic budgeting experience during which they make a series of spending decisions like the types made by a young adult. The fair provides the students the opportunity to put into practice what the students learn in the classroom and interact with local businesses as consumers based on their chosen career and corresponding monthly income. During the fair, students met with representatives from the credit union and various businesses and industries to include Community College of Rhode Island, The Lapointe Insurance Agency, Premier Home Realty, LLC, RISLA College Planning Center, Stop and Shop, Tasca Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM Fiat, Wealth Management Resource Group, and others to help them gain a better appreciation of the importance of budgeting, financial planning and making wise purchasing decisions.

At the conclusion of the fair, the  Principal of Toll Gate High School thanked the credit union for the annual Donald R. Staley Memorial Scholarship that is offered to any graduating Toll Gate student pursuing a business or mathematics degree at any accredited college of university. Donald Staley was a math educator and administrator with the Warwick school system for more than 40 years and served as a credit union Board Chair for the Warwick Municipal Employees/Anchor Federal Credit Union and Director for Wave Federal Credit Union encompassing over 20 years of service. He said that the credit union will be awarding the scholarship in his honor for $1,000 through the program at the school’s Honors Night on May 22.