By MEGHAN DURBAK
“Does camping really cost $175?” a wide-eyed Ashley Hall asked.
The 14-year-old watched as the weekend outing put a dent in her already limited budget.
Bob Brinson, a retired employee from Delphi, told her, “We’re trying to be realistic.”
It was one of many surprise expenses for the eighth-grader from Lafayette Park Middle School.
The future computer engineer was shocked after learning she’d spent $300 on the camping trip, a gym membership and the occasional meal at a restaurant.
“Oh my, you’re going to run me up here,” she said as she watched her checking account balance quickly diminish.
Paying bills is a foreign concept to her and the 1,100 other eighth-graders from area middle schools who participated in the Living in the Real World event Wednesday at Central Middle School.
For a few hours, the students pretended to be 28-year-old professionals with limited budgets.
The annual project is a joint venture of the Altrusa Club of Kokomo and Howard County Partners in Education. More than 175 volunteers manned stations to help prepare teens for life as an adult.
To participate, the students had to select a career they’d be interested in, determine whether they were married, and whether they’d have children. Using these decisions as guidelines, they had to determine what level of education they would need and how much their base pay would be.
Using that salary, they learned how much they’d be paying in student loans, housing, utilities, day care, food, insurance, charity, car payments, clothing and leisure activities. They also had to pull cards out of a hat to learn whether they’d sustain a broken limb or get a speeding ticket, teaching them that they have to pay for the unexpected as well.
Marilyn Skinner, a retired teacher and chairwoman of Living in the Real World, said the project exposes children to some of the realities of adult life.
“We’re hoping they do find out it is very costly and that making wise choices is very important,” she said.
She said the simulation is an eye-opener for most students.
“Most of them will be broke before they get half way through this,” she said.
She said it helps them consider their career and education choices as well.
“They think more about it,” she said. “Can they live the way they want to live with the career they’ve chosen?”
At the end of the day, the students begin selecting their high school courses, Skinner said. She’s hoping they’ll choose college preparatory courses, as most jobs require a college degree.
“It may be planting some thoughts in their head about the importance of post-secondary education,” Skinner said.
It may also bring up issues of students having children too young.
“It is not easy to pay for four kids,” said 13-year-old Karla Alvarez. “I wanted four kids by the time I’m 28.”
She also wants to be a singer. Even after learning she might not make much as a musician, Karla said singing is her dream job.
“I wanted to be able to have a job and do what I love for a living,” said the Lafayette Park middle schooler.
After watching her money disappear quickly, Karla has a few things to consider.
She does know she’s not in a hurry to become an adult any time soon.
“I want to stay young as long as I can,” she said.
