A school in Findlay got a visit from the state treasurer on Friday while learning about financial literacy with the "Real Money Real World" program.
Students at Donnell Middle School in Findlay got a little taste of the adult life thanks to a new statewide initiative called Real Money Real World. Treasurer Robert Sprague partnered with Ohio State to get the program widespread in schools across Ohio.
"You can see behind us, these kids are having a great time and they're also learning in real-time with this interactive approach. That's why we love it. It's something that the kids don't mind doing and they learn about finances, and finance and making those economic decisions is the one math skill that every adult uses every day of their life. We think it's great," commented Robert Sprague, Ohio State Treasurer.
How the program works is that each student was randomly assigned a fake life. It included what they did for a living, how many kids they had, and what their monthly income was. From there, they had to make financial decisions that included paying for insurance, transportation, groceries, and other bills that the typical adult would have to pay.
"Being an adult is hard. It's hard to understand all the expenses that come with being an adult, with being a parent, with being a spouse, with going to college or choosing not to go to college, and so I think that this gives them a better idea of what real life is going to be like in the future. This is a fun way to do it with fake money and a fake job that can give them a little insight on the choices that they want to make as they get older," said Jamie Rickle, program assistant at the Hancock OSU Extension Office.
The Real Money Real World program will continue in other schools in the area with a session planned for Glenwood Schools next month.
