The  junior class of B.M.C. Durfee High School participated in the second annual Fall River Credit for Life Fair on April 7, 2011 in the school gymnasium. The three-hour event provided students with a highly interactive financial literacy experience, placing them in the position of 25-year-old adults in charge of making their own purchase and daily living decisions. The fair makes students aware of adult daily expenses, including housing, insurance, transportation and saving for retirement. B.M.C. Durfee guidance director Aimee Bronhard and Citizens-Union Savings Bank V-P of Marketing Monica Curhan organized the morning activity. The event is made possible by numerous volunteers from the community, as well as the following sponsors: Citizens-Union Savings Bank, Bristol County Savings Bank, Bank Five, Saint Anne's Credit Union and Mechanics Cooperative Bank. Booths staffed by volunteers from local business included housing, clothing, health and nutrition, furniture, transportation, education, credit, insurance, savings and retirement, luxury, career counseling and credit counseling. Click here for a video of the event. For more information, contact Ms. Bronhard at 508.675.8100, Ext. 1199.

(Top row, center) CD-Recreation Program Director Jamison Souza watches the Wheel of Life as it lands on "Recession--You Lose Your Job!" as the students who are playing react. (Top row, right) Social Studies teacher Matt Desmarais talks with B.M.C. Durfee High School principal Paul Marshall while Michael Rodrigues of FRED-TV videotapes the event in the background. (Second row, left) Jim Mathes of SMILES Mentoring talks with Sabannah Dorego and Bibiana Darosa. (Second row, right) Ashley Lake and Ashlyn Lavoie talk with Denise Boland about health insurance at the Health and Nutrition table. (Third row, left) Real estate broker Tom Martin talks to students about renting an apartment. (Third row, center) B.M.C. Durfee guidance director Aimee Bronhard and Monica Curhan of Citizens-Union Savings Bank, who organized the event, pose for a photo. (Third row, right) Paul Mello of Citizen-Union Savings Bank talks with students about setting up a checking account. (Bottom row, left) Gabe Andrade of People Incorporated and a former Durfee guidance counselor assists a student in looking for a job. (Bottom row, center) Cory Tremblay consults with Brittany Nardi to make sure they've completed the required information.