"It's just _____ dollars!" is a common phrase to hear from teenagers. Today, our 8th graders and Sophomores got a dose of Reality, courtesy of Reality U, a handful of local businesses, and 24 of the best volunteers you could ask for to kick off a new event. That dose was apparent as many students found themselves long on expenses and short on income.
Prior to Thanksgiving, students took the RealU Quiz, which asked them questions about their future and their school performance and generated a life scenario for each based on salary, marital status, number of children, number and type of pets, college indebtedness, and a credit score. Today, these students were asked to visit twelve booths to pay life's expenses. Students who were married worked in teams if both were present, while others went it alone as singles, whether unmarried or having a spouse out of town/sick/etc.
At each of the booths, students were given options of how much to spend based on their ability to pay and other choices they made with their finances. For instance, insurance costs more with a more expensive and newer vehicle than it does with an older, cheaper form of transportation. Students needed to pay for transportation, insurance, housing, utilities, food, clothes, and hair. Additionally, some were blessed with children, so child care expenses were included. Phones are, as you know, a necessity, so students had to factor in that monthly bill, plus any additional entertainment options. Student loan payments, investing for short- and long-term, and dealing with unexpected life events (broken arm, bad freezer, etc.). The most popular location as the session wore on was the "Help! I need more money" booth, where students could pick up an second job, a gig-economy job, or make adjustments to their current school habits that might increase their chance of a greater salary in the long run.
The overarching goal of this activity was to allow students to have as much of a real-world experience as is possible in a condensed time frame, followed by some insight from volunteers and our Reality U facilitator, Patrick Sehl. It is our hope to continue to offer this experience on an annual basis.
If you are an individual and would like to volunteer for events like this or, if you are in a position as a business or organization to contribute to efforts like these financially, please contact Phil Bressler via email or phone (620.278.2171).