Upon request of teachers the Lewis County Extension Office collaborated with the Family Resource Centers to conduct the Dollars and Sense Program at Tollesboro Elementary. It was important to do the program because youth need to learn skills that will help them when they get out of school and need to make decisions on how to spend their money. “Kentucky 4-H believes that all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in our four guiding concepts: mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity.”  This program fosters mastery by learning wise consumer practices, decision-making, budgeting, how credit works, and how to prepare for an employable future. Using the curriculum "It’s Your Reality" Dollars and Sense a lesson was taught on setting goals, budgeting, decision-making, and how credit works.  A skill that was worked on was counting money.  On the day of the Dollars and Sense program participants were given a $200.00 allowance. The participants verified they had $200.00 and then visited fourteen booths in which they purchased one item from each booth. For example, at the transportation booth participants had to choose a mode of transportation such as a skateboard, bicycle, or a four-wheeler. At the bank they had to decide how much money they wanted to save and at the pet store they had to purchase the items necessary to take care of their pet.

 There were 72 youth that participated in the program. A follow-up survey was done after the program to see what youth had learned. Fifty-seven youth completed the survey.  The conclusion of the survey results were that 98% of the students learned something that day in relation to saving money, managing money, and that it is important to consider the price of an item.  Many participants were surprised at how much things cost.