Students learn about real world finances

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert and Lincolnview government students had to chance to learn about “real world” finances on Tuesday through the Ohio State University Extension’s “Real Money, Real World” program held in the Van Wert High School gymnasium.

Participating students are given a career and family scenario — all are 25, married and can have up to three children — and learn about budgeting and the various costs of daily life: housing, entertainment, food, childcare, etc. The program includes classroom lessons that teach students about choosing a career, how much various careers earn, how much is deducted in taxes and benefits, and how to make financial decisions and fill out a check register.

Tuesday’s event was a culmination of the program, and featured a number of stations that use local business volunteers who provide information on the cost of living in the community.

“We have really good community support for all the stations,” said Heather Gottke, local OSU Extension program coordinator. “Different community business leaders are at each station helping the kids make decisions… .”

Gottke said Tuesday’s simulation is very realistic. “It’s not just dreaming of what will happen in a couple of years,” she explained.

Rachel Davis, a VWHS senior, said the cost of childcare opened her eyes.

“I didn’t realize that childcare is as expensive as it is,” she said, while also noting, though, that life insurance was less expensive than she had imagined. “That was kind of a nice surprise.”

Childcare is the one expense that alarms students every year, Gottke noted, with many students walking away vowing not to have children. It also tends to make students more appreciative of the things their own parents buy them, and of the family expenses parents have.

“I think a lot of them go home thankful for what their parents have given them, and it’s a new perspective because they (didn’t) realize how much they actually cost,” Gottke said.

In addition, in conjunction with the new career readiness approach seen in area schools, students are also counseled that a four-year college is not a requirement after high school for all students or career paths.

“We need people who can do specific tasks and specific skills that sometimes pay better than going to college does,” Gottke said, “like welding, that’s a huge skillset to have and places like Vantage (Career Center) don’t get enough credit for being able to send kids straight into the workforce with that.”