The problem

- After meeting with FRYSCs at the beginning of the school year, it was very apparent that they wanted to include programming that would educate our youth on the value of money and the importance of choosing the right path for your future.

The educational program response

- Perry Co. 4-H collaborated with each 7th grade teacher in the county to provide an instructional lesson on budgeting. Following this budgeting lesson, each student participated in the 4-H Reality Store where they were assigned a job, a household income, children, and more. They were then required to attend various booths such as housing, transportation, and insurance to show them how quickly a monthly income can go away when paying bills as well as showing them how they have to may have to sacrifice certain wants to ensure all their needs are met.

The participants/target audience

- All 7th graders (285) enrolled in the Perry County or Hazard Independent School Districts.

Other partners (if applicable)

- Farm Bureau, County Health Dept., Sheriff's Dept., PVA Office, FRYSCs from each school, Hazard Community & Technical College, Perry Co. 4-H Teen Leadership Club, Perry Central HS JROTC.

Program impact or participant response.

- The 2024 Reality Store was a huge hit, we were able to receive feedback from each teacher and student that participated via paper survey. All teachers made it apparent that they wanted to participate in Reality Store again next year while also having the opportunity to give suggestions on how we could improve our 2025 Reality Store. Students were shocked by the cost of many things such as Child Care, Insurance, and Housing. Through our surveys we saw a 68% overall increase from students that were asked if they considered the cost of items prior to purchasing them, and 97% of students said they were going to make an effort to improve or maintain good grades going forward!