UNCLE Credit Union Hosts 'Bite of Reality' Event for High School Students

LIVERMORE, Calif., March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, March 14, 2025, UNCLE Credit Union headquartered in Livermore, CA, provided 150 high school students at the Leadership Public School of Hayward with a "Bite of Reality” experience to learn what it's like to have financial responsibilities and live on a budget.

The Bite of Reality program is an interactive, mobile app-based simulation appealing to teenagers while giving them a taste of real-world financial realities. Teens are given a fictional occupation, salary, credit score, spouse and child, student loan debt, credit card debt, and medical insurance payments. Then, the student participants encounter various stations to "purchase” housing, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, and other needs. Running out of money or encounter a sticky situation? Students visit the "credit union” to help with any of their financial needs.

"By providing this experience, we are empowering our local students - the next generation of leaders - with the knowledge and confidence to make smart financial decisions early on in life. It is incredibly rewarding to see their enthusiasm and curiosity as the students engage with real-world financial concepts not necessarily taught in a typical classroom setting.” says Natalia Custodio, Vice President of Marketing at UNCLE. This hands-on activity teaches teens how to make financial decisions they will encounter in their adult life and shows the challenges they may encounter along the way.

Credit unions live by the motto of People Helping People. UNCLE Credit Union employees invited other employees from Pacific Service Credit Union and Patelco Credit Union to provide volunteers to make this event happen.

Interested in bringing a free program like Bite of Reality to your school? Contact UNCLE at [email protected].

About UNCLE Credit Union

Founded in 1957, UNCLE Credit Union offers the benefits of membership to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, or Stanislaus counties. With over $750 million in assets and over 38,000 members, UNCLE Credit Union provides a wide range of financial solutions including checking and savings accounts, consumer and auto loans, mortgage products, credit cards, business banking, and a full suite of investment and financial planning services under its Wealth Management Center. UNCLE provides its members with access to 5,000+ shared branches and nearly 30,000 ATMs via the Shared Branching Network. To learn more, visit www.unclecu.org.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/75441228-8f3a-4ff3-a2c5-ea972de01c4a

CONTACT: CONTACT: Natalia Custodio

925.724.2186

[email protected]