Anderson County 4-H partnered with Youth Services to present the Reality Store program.

The Reality Store program provides 8th grade students with the experience of real life-like financial choices and decisions; approximately 306 students. The students choose a profession based on their grade point average and are provided with a “pretend” monthly salary. The students must use the monthly salary to pay for monthly expenses. These include a house and vehicle payment, clothing, insurance, and childcare, among other things. The students gain knowledge about money management and life choices. A survey was administered after the program and students were asked about life changes they would make based on what they learned during the program. Several survey results are 80% of students plan to try harder in school, 90% of students plan to receive more education after high school and 90% of students plan to make wise financial decisions

The students receive an eye-opening experience about the expenses associated with having a family and how important a good education and good job are.