Information from the last Letcher County Community Needs Assessment showed top priority issues for Letcher County were youth needed life skills training such as (money management, life decision making) and family skills in reducing debt, increasing savings, and financial planning.  To help in these areas all but two schools with 3rd and 4^th grade youth participated in the Dollars and Sense Program.

Letcher County had over 230 youth who participated in the Dollars and Sense Program.  There were 20 adults and 15 youth volunteers who helped to conduct the program.  

The 4-H It’s Your Reality (Dollars and Sense) Curriculum focuses on engaging youth in real life, age-appropriate budgeting scenarios. Each student is given an allowance and a pet. The students learn how to make budget-making purchases with the allowance, Students are given dollars and sense money.  Youth must be responsible and purchase an item at each booth. We talk about needs versus wants in the classroom and at the actual program youth must put the lessons learned in the classroom to the test with their budget at the Dollars and Sense school enrichment program.

Evaluations of the youth showed that 95% of students reported they have a better understanding of why budgeting is important, 92% realized how important their needs are and their want can wait, and 95% would work to make a better decision on how they spend their money.

Youth realized just how expensive pets can be and would make better choices when asking for a pet. All of the teachers, FRYSC, and principles for all classes expressed how important this 4-H program is for the youth involved with the program and have already said the schools will be involved in the next 4-H Dollars and Sense programs for the 2025-26 school year.