Brooke Gundersen wasn’t ready to be a “grandmother”—let alone, three times over.

Luckily, it was a mock situation for her daughter who is an eighth-grader at Union Middle School. It was part of Reality Town, a simulation of real-life earning a living and being able to budget and pay for their expenses.

“They gave her a job—a chemist—and a life situation with a husband who stays home to take care of the (three) kids,” said her mother, who volunteered to help that day. “I hope she learns to save her money.”

Eighth-grader Kagean Black had just paid $400 on groceries and didn’t have any money left.

“I don’t know how people do this for real,” he said. 

Kagean was navigating life as a speech-language pathologist, with a $4,000 salary to support himself, his wife and a child.

“I’m going to get medical insurance next; I need more money,” he said.

Throughout the role play, eighth-grade students were rotating through booths paying for essentials—housing; utilities; transportation; medical and dental insurance; kids’ care; property tax— and some nonessentials, such as entertainment and pets. There was some secondary careers available and other options to turn to navigate the reality of their futures.

Students’ careers with a built-in monthly income were based on their academic record. They randomly were assigned a family situation.

Canyons School District Director of Career and Technical Education Janet Goble is an advocate for the interactive learning role play.

“Reality Town is a great experience for students to get a taste of the adult world,” she said. “They’re managing their income and realizing how expensive it is to be adults, whether it’s housing costs or childcare, going to the doctor. As they have experiences at many booths, they get an understanding of what it’s like when they grow up. We’re hoping they learned how to manage money so when they’re in charge, they will be able to manage it correctly.”

Hillcrest High junior Jocelyn Martinez was volunteering, explaining to students how to budget their finances.

“The kids are getting frustrated over how little money they have left, and we just started,” she said. “I am learning they haven’t learned how to balance their money. They need to try to save a little. I have a job; I always put $100 in my savings, so I don’t spend it all. But this is a cool program. It should be implemented at Hillcrest since we’re closer to graduating.”

Martinez, as many of the high school volunteers, could count her time as International Baccalaureate and National Honor Society community service hours. Canyons Work-based Learning Facilitator Cher Burbank said there were more than 30 volunteers helping with Reality Town.

“Not all our student volunteers got this experience as some middle schools do it every other year or they missed it during the (COVID-19) pandemic so they’re learning to budget their money wisely through their service today,” she said. “I’m hoping the eighth graders as well as our helpers learn that they need to pay for everything with that monthly income and then, if they have money leftover even after saving some, they can look at extras. Those are options, not needs.”

Burbank said students try inventive approaches with budgeting their money. 

“One student wanted to start off making a huge donation to the homeless and another to save the rainforest, which is admirable, but they hadn’t started with making sure they had a place to live and something to eat,” she said. “Some kids try to get creative—wanting to hire out their children; share a one-bedroom apartment with four families and buy a bus to convert it to sleep as well as have it for transportation. They’re learning life can be expensive.”

Through Reality Town, the lessons sink in, Burbank said.

“When they’re role playing, they learn and experience real-life situations. When you experience it, you remember it rather than sitting in the classroom and have it go over their head. As a classroom lesson, this wouldn’t be the same,” Burbank said.

Eighth-grader Annabella Lapore realized she was learning these lessons firsthand.

“I’ve learned a lot about life budgeting, about what things you need versus what you want, and you shouldn’t 

compare your situation with other people,” she said.

Annabella already had been to 20 booths, but still planned to visit childcare, clothing, groceries and communications. Her mock situation had her holding down two jobs while her spouse, who is in school, held one job. They were providing for a child.

“We have a three-bedroom condo and a 12-year-old Toyota. I don’t really need a big house and for a car, I don’t want something too expensive. If it works and is dependable, then that’s fine,” she said. “I was raised not to take anything for granted and not to always want more. I still have $1,100 of my $3,800 salary, so we’ll be fine.”