Last week, students who enrolled in our high school Economics and Personal Finance classes participated in the Reality Store. Reality Store is a real life simulation were students must use money management and decision making skills to navigate life decisions.
The simulation begins in the classroom, where students receive a hypothetical job, income, and family. With that information, students must navigate financial decisions about housing, utilities, health insurance, and personal needs such as clothing, cell phones, and entertainment. If they find themselves in financial hardship, they can investigate the possibility of supplemental income and credit cards.
School and community volunteers run each station and present students with their options. Students then make decisions based on their bank account balances and what is best for their “family”. Students must also take a spin on the “wheel of life” where they might receive good news, or could cost them, depending on the outcome.
CCPS conducts the Reality Store once a semester for students at both Culpeper County High School and Eastern View High School. This year, the event was held at the Culpeper Technical Education Center, which allowed for more time and expanding the event categories, adding items such as pets and pet expenses to the simulation.