Today’s youth are unaware of the financial responsibility that their future holds so the goal of the Spencer County Extension Office was to educate youth through the 4-H Reality Store, an event that provides participants the opportunity to partake in the journey of adult life. In March of 2018, 226 Spencer County Middle School 8^th grade students were given the opportunity to understand the importance of decision making and financial responsibility.

Spencer County Cooperative Extension Service provided the reality based financial program where the participating students learned the “reality” of being a 25-year-old adult. Based on their current GPA students chose a career and drew from a hat the number of children that they would have in the program. Before the start of the program “Uncle Sam” proceeded to take out taxes out of the salaries and left the students with a monthly amount that was realistic. Community volunteers, Youth Service Center Staff and Extension Staff manned booths that served as a different checkpoint or pit stop for students to make purchases, pay bills and live as a 25-year-old adult.  Some students realized the costs of life and had to take a second job, while others learned about educational opportunities like student loans that made higher education affordable and possible to advance their careers.

The 8^th grade participants quickly learned the value of an education and how it correlates to future careers and lifestyles. Furthermore, students learned that an adult lifestyle is expensive and children will add to that expense. For example, before this program approximately 18% of participants had a level 4, highest level, of understanding about budgeting money, while after the program this statistic jumped to a level 4 understanding of approximately 45%. Another example is before the program only 25% of the participating 8^th graders had a level 4 understanding of the links between career and lifestyle and after the program this was raised to 59%. Before the program 18% had a level 4 understanding of how to save for their future goals and after the program 61% had a level 4 understanding of how to save for their future goals. 

The program titled “Reality Store” serves to enlighten 8^th graders about the responsibilities of the “real world” and allows students to glimpse future scenarios and expenses of life. This program will hopefully encourage the youth of Spencer County to obtain higher education and in turn the community could reap the benefits of having educated individuals giving support in the future. This program encompassed many former graduates of Spencer County who are serving their community through volunteering for functions such as these that promotes youth development. This is a program that allows the youth to develop their decision making skills and glimpse the responsibilities of adult life and positive returns can be seen after the completion of the program.