February 23, 2005

School program dose of reality

Students learn budget skills at Reality Store

By
Herald staff writer

      Housing, child care, food, insurance, transportation - all part of the expenses adults must fit into their budget each month.
      High school students with disabilities got a chance to experience "real life" when they were given a checkbook - with a month's salary deposited - and set out to spend it at the Reality Store last week.
      The Reality Store was developed by the Business and Professional Women to help teens start thinking about their future and the financial resources they will need for their desired lifestyle.
      Students from nine area schools who participate in the LIFE 101 program, sponsored by the Northern Michigan Alliance for Independent Living, saw first hand just what it takes to keep a household running.
      "I had enough money to get by, but it would have been better if my wife had been employed," said Logan Buckler, a Kalkaska High School sophomore who earned $3,752 per month as a coach.
      After choosing a career path and receiving an appropriate salary, students went from booth to booth - each one representing a component of the adult world, including unexpected expenses like car repairs.
      "I didn't spend my money on useless things. I bought toothpaste and deodorant and all of the essentials," Buckler noted.
      Sophomore Marie Spoor of Manceloa High School found that her money didn't go as far as she thought it would.
      "There is a little more to expect in life that I originally thought. Choosing necessary needs rather than stuff for spare time is important. The future can bring a whole lot of crazy things," Spoor said.
      The Reality Store is just one of the programs that students in LIFE 101 participate in to prepare them for life as an adult.
      "Students in LIFE 101 participate in activities to teach them self-advocacy, goal setting, problem solving and self-determination," said program coordinator, Annie Campbell.
      LIFE 101, designed for ninth and 10th-graders and LIFE 102, for 11th and 12-graders, teach students important life skills. These necessities include how to manage time and prioritize, comparison shop, manage a checking account, create a resume and cover letter, find housing, basic computer skills, manage stress anger and find and keep a job.
      "The Reality Store is a great addition to our program," Campbell noted.