In November of 2021 Grant County 4-H and Williamstown School Family Resource Center was able to host a day of financial education and literacy. This was a 2 day-program and 3 different programs with youth ranging from Preschool-8th grade. Preschool-2nd Graders were working on understanding earing money through chores and other small jobs by earning beans which in turn they had the opportunity to choose what to "spend" their beans on. Here they were able to see what they earned and what they could potentially buy. At the end the group who won, or had the most money left, ended up getting a 4-H prize. The 3rd and 4th graders participated in Dollars and Sense which is a smaller scale version of Reality Store. Youth were able to start off with a paycheck, determined by their job, and then have to make their way throughout the booths and spend their money wisely. The goal was to have some money leftover, but also paying their bills and having some fun money. Our students in junior high participated in Reality Store. Here youth are able to pretend to be an adult, children, home, job, student loans, food, etc. Youth were assigned a job and had a monthly income that they had to stay within in order to "survive" the game. 

After our last class of Reality Store concluded there was a young girl come up to a volunteer saying that she never knew how much she cost and some of her activities cost. She was blown away with how much it is to "adult" and how tough it can be at times, especially when hit with something major needed fixed right away. Our volunteer did a great job explaining how hard it can be, but with practice like today you can learn how to better prepare and to thank your parents.