Students at Willowcreek Middle School got a taste of the future at the annual Portage Reality Store, presented by Purdue University North Central and the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce. Volunteers from businesses around the community spent their morning assisting students as they learned real costs of living. “It’s amazing what the children don’t know today,” shared Mike Loving, of Lovings Heating and Cooling, “They need more of these types of programs.”
New to the Reality Store program this year is a day spent prepping the students for the simulation. PNC teamed up with the teachers to provide educational materials about various jobs and narrow down potential careers by interest. Act.org offers a “World of Work” map, which gives the students an idea of what education is needed for certain careers, how much they can expect to make, and more. “This information helps to give them an incentive to go to college,” said Susan Brychell, one of PNC Porter County’s Directors.
“More than just running a simulation, we’re trying to teach the kids a lesson,” Brychell went on to say, as the Reality Store opens the students’ eyes to real life costs and situations. The students are given a salary, based on career choice, and start out at the taxes table, an eye-opener in itself. Once they go through all of the necessary living costs, they are given the option to purchase unnecessary luxuries and vacations, as well as delegate money to charities. The last table is a last chance booth, where they pick, at random, a life situation, from winning a radio contest and earning some extra money to parking in a no parking zone and having to pay up.
If the students end up overspending, they are offered the option to visit a bankruptcy table, where the decisions they made are evaluated to see where poor choices were made, and how they can make better decisions to not end up with negative income. “This program is good for them as far as learning what it will be like when they are older,” shared Willowcreek teacher Shawn Ramsey, “The simulation is very realistic and the kids are having fun with it. They learn when you’re a young adult, you can’t get everything top-notch; you have to know how to budget your money.”
“This is maybe the most important 45 minutes they will spend,” said Jim Wheeler, a Willowcreek teacher who has been involved with the Reality Store program for nearly 20 years. “It gives kids a grasp on life.”
Vin Lattanzi, an 8th grade student, found value in the program because it “teaches us life before we get there.” His career choice as a Dental Hygienist led him to a pleasant surprise: he thought his student loans would be higher. Vin’s situation was somewhat of a rarity though; another fellow student, Rachel Joseph, was surprised by the high cost of childcare. “I probably won’t eat out much, try to save as much money as I can,” she shared, when asked how this simulation will influence her choices later in life.
Student Mykala Bonner also experienced some shock with high costs. “It took a turn for the worse at one point but I brought my self back,” she smiled, sharing that the high costs of clothing and food made her think twice and gave her a new appreciation for her parents. “I have to applaud them!”