Teens Experience Adulthood During Reality Store Event
More than 100 BGCBC teens participating in the SkillsUSA, MoneyMatters and CareerLaunch programs, part of BGCBC's Workforce Development Initiative, prepared for real world experiences during the Reality Store event.
Reality Store provides an interactive experience in which youth learn how the choices they make regarding career, managing income and expenses, and saving and investing will affect future outcomes. To start, teens draw a salary based on a specific career and manage basic living expenses for themselves and a family. They envision the lifestyle they would like to have in their late 20s, explore a career, receive a checking account "deposit" equal to one month's salary, and spend their salary in the Reality Store on necessities and extras. They also handle some of life's unexpected events and discover whether their occupation provides the financial resources needed in order to sustain the lifestyle they want.
Reality Store creates an interactive experience in which participating teens visit various stations:
- Careers and Salary
- Utilities
- Child Care
- Life's Unexpected
- Beauty and Barber
- Charitable Donations
- Financial counseling
- Banking
- Furniture
- Transportation
- Medical,Dental, and Optical
- Legal
- Entertainment and Travel
- Housing
- Groceries
- Insurance
- Clothing
- Pet and Veterinarian
- Investments
Reality Store®, licensed from Indiana Women's Education Foundation and adapted for Boys & Girls Club members, enhances the Money Matters curriculum to provide additional financial experiences that are interesting, fun and relevant for teens. Watch the video of the 2017 BGCBC Reality Store here. Thank you to all of our volunteers who made this event a success and Paton Internet Marketing for the video showcasing the event!
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