REALITY STORE TEACHES HARRISON 8TH GRADE STUDENTS ABOUT LIFE EXPENSES

December proved to be a busy month for the Clare-Gladwin CTE with competitions, field trips, and classroom visits from local area sophomore students. In addition, this month, CTE staff and volunteers teamed up to provide “The Reality Store” to the 8th graders at Harrison Intermediate School. The Reality Store is an interactive financial simulation where middle school students learn how their education, life choices, and finances are all interrelated and impact their future.

During this hands-on experience, students are given a hypothetical family situation with their occupation, annual salary, years of education, and debts. Based on that information, they make spending decisions for their household. Their goal was to balance a monthly budget, including housing, paying taxes, loan debt, groceries, health and car insurance costs, and other monthly bills. They also encountered “fate scenarios” that increased or decreased their income, such as car repairs, medical expenses, or winning the lottery. The goal was to visit each booth and still have a remaining balance at the end of the month.

The Reality Store is a fun and effective way to give students an understanding of real-world expenses they will encounter as adults. The event helps students understand the value of making good choices and the importance of education and career planning. An extra benefit – it gives students an idea and hopefully an appreciation of the financial decisions their parents face each month. #CTEitsWorking