Radium Springs Middle School students attending Reality U
ALBANY, Ga. – When you’re in 8th grade, budgeting for health insurance and utility bills may not be at the top of your to do list. However, for Dougherty County middle school students, part of their school day required doing just that.
At Radium Springs Middle School on Wednesday students experienced what it’s like to purchase car insurance, balance a check book or pay utility bills.
Communities In Schools of Georgia (CISGA) partnered with the Albany Police Department to bring “Reality U” to the middle school.
Each participating student had to go through the life simulation event as if they were a 26 year old making the necessary purchases that adults face every month.
Depending on their answers to a survey that asked about homework completion and GPA, the students would either be going through the simulation married, single, a parent, having good or bad credit or even being a pet owner.
Leslie Myles
Leslie Myles, Director of Program and Student Support Services for CISGA, says Reality U encourages students to look at their current standing and think about where they want to be in the future.
“Learning about financial reality, which is why it’s called ‘Reality U,’ is so vitally important for our youth. To be able to manage their money or be able to manage their finances helps make better choices now.”
Cpl. Dillard Glover
Volunteer and police officer Cpl. Dillard Glover says life simulations like Reality U helps ensure students become financial capable citizens and in turn positively contribute to the city of Albany.
“It’ll help them to understand about finances and help them understand the importance of education because that does often have a great reflection on what type of job and opportunities you have. And all that comes back to our community.”
Near the end of the event some of the students had gone bankrupt but most were able to admit they had no idea that being an adult came with such a hefty price tag.
8th graders said it costs “a lot of money to live” and after experiencing some financial hardships at Reality U they offered some advice to all the people in their twenties.
8th grader Makya said, “Don’t have no children, and stay single so you won’t have to pay for a big house.”
And 8th grader Ehreaul said, “If you don’t have the right mindset for a baby, don’t do it, if you don’t have a house, if you can’t provide food for it, can’t provide shelter for it, don’t do it.”
Around 230 students got a hefty dose of reality indeed.
