Every year, United Way of Central Kansas hosts Reality U, where eighth graders at Great Bend Middle School get to experience a simulation of life after high school. It’s a bit like a life-sized game of Monopoly combined with The Game of Life and a choose-your-own ending book.
Students take a short survey asking what they want to be when they grow up, if they envision themselves married, or having kids and pets, and their current grade-point average. Based on the answers, each student is given a life situation at age 26. With GPA being considered, not every student will have their dream job. If they want to be a doctor, but don’t have the grades to get there, they may still be in the medical field, but not as a doctor.
The students then go to pay their monthly bills at the 12 booths set up in the GBMS gym. They have to purchase a car and insurance, medical insurance, a home, pay utilities and childcare, and get a cellphone. They also have to visit the Chance booth, where with the roll of the dice, they may break a leg or pick up an extra shift at work. There is a Q & A booth if they get into a bind and need help budgeting for the month.
After the game, the students meet for more in-depth discussions with sponsors and community volunteers from all walks of life: high school students, law enforcement officers and business people.
The program helps them realize the costs associated with being on their own, having children, and the impact that their grades and choices now can have on their lives. It isn’t unusual for people involved with Reality U to comment on how eye-opening it can be. Comments range from “I wish we had this when I was in school” to “This would be a good class for some adults.”
Poverty Simulation/Getting Ahead
If you’re an adult who could benefit from a “reality simulation,” now’s your chance.
The upcoming Poverty Simulation event, made possible by funding from Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE)-Barton County, aims to provide a firsthand experience of living in poverty and foster a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by families living in low-income situations, said UWCK Executive Director Charell Owings.
The Poverty Simulation is scheduled to take place from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2. (The location will be announced at a later date.) Participants will have the opportunity to role play as individuals experiencing survival mode, simulating four 15-minute weeks. In that way, it is similar to Reality U.
“Through this immersive experience, attendees will gain valuable insights into the daily struggles and difficult decisions faced by those living in poverty,” Owings said.
This simulation is free to attend, but the sponsors request people register by Oct. 30. For more information contact Owings at unitedwaycentralks@hotmail.com or visit www.uwck.org.
If you don’t need a poverty simulation to teach you what it’s like to struggle with paying the bills, the CORE Community will again offer a 22-week class, “Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World,” for people below 200% of the poverty level. Starting in November, it will meet on Thursday evenings at the Great Bend First United Methodist Church. Child care and a meal will be provided. For information call 785-366-6605.
“Getting Ahead” is a curriculum that assists individuals living in poverty to develop the skills to survive and flourish. Participants, called Core leaders, will examine their pasts and create new futures, developing a written plan for prosperity.
As Core Community equips members to move up and out of poverty successfully, it also seeks volunteers to become Core Friends. Stable, compassionate middle class members from the community are asked to come alongside and be a friend to one of the “Getting Ahead” leaders who are making their way out of poverty.
Whether you’re an eighth grader, a teenager or an adult, it’s never too late to learn better financial responsibility and life skills. If you’ve got it all together, why not learn what other people are up against and maybe consider lending a hand?
