From USD 428
Great Bend Middle School eighth-grade students will get a glimpse into their future during Reality U, an interactive financial literacy and life simulation scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Great Bend Middle School.
Reality U is a program created and operated by The Pando Initiative and brought to Great Bend through United Way of Central Kansas (UWCK) with support from local business sponsors, volunteers, and community partners. This marks the 10th year UWCK has brought Reality U to local students, with the program beginning in 2016.
During the Reality U simulation, students will receive a fictional career and income, along with a variety of life circumstances that may include being married, having children or pets, student or other loan debt, and a credit score. Students then navigate a series of real-world financial decisions, including housing, transportation, food, insurance, and other expenses.
The goal is to give students a hands-on opportunity to experience how decisions can affect their financial future — before those decisions carry real-world consequences.
“Our goal with Reality U is to help students understand that the choices they make today, even in eighth grade, can impact their lives 10 or 15 years down the road,” said Charell Owings, Executive Director of United Way of Central Kansas. “Reality U gives students a safe place to make mistakes, experience financial challenges, and even go into debt without facing real-world consequences. We want students to learn those lessons here so they are better prepared to make choices that set them up for success.”
In addition to the Reality U simulation, students will participate in breakout sessions throughout the day focused on topics designed to help prepare them for high school and adulthood. Community members and local organizations will share practical information and insights with students.
Breakout sessions include:
· The Cost of Delinquency — Great Bend Police Department
· Reality After High School — Becca Maxwell, Sunflower Bank
· Job Interview — GBHS JAG-K Teachers
· Youth Crew — Tyler Morton, Barton County Juvenile Services
· Preparing for High School — Great Bend High School Counselors
· Dealing with Stress — Center for Counseling & Consultation
The event is made possible through the combined efforts of UWCK, Great Bend Middle School, community speakers, volunteers, and local business sponsors.
“Every volunteer, every speaker and every business sponsor makes Reality U possible,” Owings said. “These students are our future, and through Reality U, we want to give them the knowledge, confidence and tools to not just survive as adults, but truly thrive.”
The Reality U experience is designed specifically for eighth-grade students in Great Bend and gives them an engaging opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-life decisions they will face in the years ahead. For more information, please contact the United Way of Central Kansas at 620-792-2403.