Grand County Middle School hosted its annual Reality Town on Friday, March 8. Community members came and manned stations where students could perform the steps of paying bills, buying commodities, investing money and buying homes and cars. Students learned how to manage their personal money and what is needed to make wise investments, as well as having to get a second job at times, in order to make ends meet.
Marva Lewis, the middle school’s guidance counselor, spearheads this event each year, bringing volunteers from the community to come and help these students learn about real adult life. Each student is given a job and a life scenario for someone who is in the workforce at about age 30. Their situation can be married, single, with children, a single parent or any number of other life scenarios. Each student needed to purchase or rent a home, buy a car or get a bus pass, pay for food, clothing, insurance, and all of life’s myriad of day-to-day choices. Many of the students dressed up to fit their job description, and educators said it was a great day for all of those who participated.
Middle school focuses on event with real-world experiences
