According to an article on youth.gov, a survey of 15-year-olds in the United States by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development determined that eighteen percent of 

those surveyed did not learn fundamental financial skills that are often applied in everyday situations. Through the It’s Your Reality financial education program, county extension agents work year after year to combat this statistic and give local youth the financial literacy skills to be successful. 

The 2020-2021 school year presented a new set of challenges when it came to providing educational programs to students. The greatest hurdle of all was that no outside visitors were allowed into the school building. For a program that has been carried out through agents presenting in-class lessons the week leading up to the event and volunteers assisting with the simulation, this was a problem. 4-H agents did not want to miss providing important financial literacy education to students; therefore we began brainstorming our options. 

After great discussion with a 4-H volunteer that is also the district technology coordinator, the It’s Your Reality program was taken to a virtual platform in its entirety. Through a partnership with Christian County Public Schools and using their Google Classroom platform, students were able to work through an interactive series of lessons over the course of a week that covered a variety of financial topics. Students were also able to make financial decisions similar to those that an adult makes each day. At the end of the week, students were to upload their completed check register. 

At the conclusion of the program, the majority of students showed and firm understanding of a variety of financial terms including; the difference between wants and needs, deductibles, identify theft, and credit. Thirty percent of the participants concluded the activity with a remaining balance granted many of those were due to having received a large sum of money from the chance booth. 

Through the use of technology, outside-the-box thinking, and many hours of preparation, local high school students were provided important financial education. Through the knowledge that they gained, these students have the foundation to be financially successful in life.