(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools)
The annual 4-H Reality Store, a partnership event coordinated by the Allen County Cooperative Extension Service and the Allen County School’s Youth Service Center, will be held on Tuesday, April 8, at the James E. Bazzell Middle School. Approximately 250 eighth grade students are expected to participate in the annual event.
The Reality Store is designed to help increase student awareness of the importance of education and its effect on a student’s quality of life in the future. The students will have the opportunity to experience how their educational achievement can play a role in what life is like following graduation.
“Students will participate by selecting an occupation with an equivalent salary based on their GPA (Grade Point Average) and family situation,” explained Martha Arterburn, Allen County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development. “The students visit the mock community to spend their salaries for basic living expenses after taxes are paid. Students will also have the opportunity to demonstrate and learn skills in decision making, goal setting, financial planning and career selection.”
Businesses in the community provide volunteers and visual aids to stimulate the real life situations for the students.
This year’s Reality Store will begin for students at 7:45 as the eighth grade classes begin experiencing the realities of life. The Reality Store experience will continue for most of the day at the school.