LSU AgCenter helps youth get real with money

ShanTra Henry, 17, stops at the final station at the Welcome to the Real World exercise to consult with LSU AgCenter agent Terry Toombs to make sure her checkbook blances and to see if she can buy some of the things she wants in addition to the things she needs. (Photo by Johnny Morgan. Click on image for downloadable photo.)

NEW ORLEANS – Even in our summer of financial discontent, many teenagers are still concerned with concerts, cosmetics and who’s kissing whom, but things were different when 70 students from the University of New Orleans’ Classic Upward Bound program recently participated in LSU AgCenter’s “Welcome to the Real World” program.

The program, which incorporates career exploration, decision making and money management, has been offered by the LSU AgCenter for more than seven years to schools and community groups across the state.

“This is the first time we’ve conducted the program here,” said Traig Varnado, LSU AgCenter agent. “We know Welcome to the Real World has a lot to offer the youth in our area, and we’d like to do this program again for other schools and community organizations.”

Welcome to the Real World, which was developed at the University of Illinois, begins with classroom lessons on such things as budgeting and how to write a check. Next, the youths use those skills in a hands-on activity.

The activity session begins when students receive “career cards” that list their occupations, their monthly incomes and withholdings. Once the youths have an idea of their financial situation, they’re off to make those tough, real-life decisions.

The students passed through a series of stations and paid their major monthly bills, making spending choices on clothing, entertainment, groceries, housing, insurance, transportation and utilities. They used mock checks to pay expenses and tracked their balances on their bank ledgers.

One participant, Chris Olivo, 13, whose “job” as a draftsman paid $1,875 a month, threw up his hands in frustration.

“Dang, how do they expect me to pay for all of this,” he said. “How can you buy all this stuff in one month? I’ll be eating Ramen noodles the rest of my life.”

ShanTra Henry, 17, who was an “air traffic controller” making $3,000 monthly, had an easier time.

“But I had to pay rent, pay for a car, insurance – and you need all kinds of insurance,” she said. “I mean, money goes fast after you pay your bills. You don't even get a chance to splurge or even go look at a store.

“What’s the point if you don't have the money?” Henry continued. “I really learned the difference between a need and a want. I really wanted a cruise, but I didn’t need it.”

Melanie Burl, LSU AgCenter agent in St John Parish who uses this curriculum often, knows the lessons help youth make informed financial decisions.

“Also, the culminating session allows the students to experience what their parents and other adults deal with daily as they try to earn a living, pay bills, buy food and cope with financial emergencies,” Burl said.

Volunteers from local businesses and the community helped make the program a success as they explained the options available to the students at each of the various stations.

Brett Bennett, a personal banker with Chase Bank, said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“This is a great way for us to offer community service,” Bennett said. “I like working with young people. And it's rewarding to offer customer education. This way my clients don't overdraw their accounts and get mad at me later.

“And even today, just hearing the kids say, ‘Thank you for helping me understand all of this,’ is so rewarding,” Bennett said.

Delores Haynes, associate director of UNO’s Classic Upward Bound, also sees the program as a great learning opportunity for her students.

“The collaboration with 4-H has been so beneficial to us,” Haynes said. “Our students have gone to leadership retreats, 4-H University and learned about character and team building. And now this program has had such practical benefits for them.”

Carmen Olivo, Chris’s mother, knows this was an important experience for her son.

“This is the reality of real life and money,” she said. “My husband and I worry about finding the time to talk to our children about money. We know it’s important to involve them in some our budget-making decisions.

“This event will help us set the ground rules to talk about the concept of money,” Carmen Olivo said. “Chris now understands it’s not always about buying, buying, buying.”

Chris Olivo agreed that he learned some valuable and real-life lessons at Welcome to the Real World.

“I only have $30 left over at the end of the day,” Chris Olivo said. “And I didn't even go to the entertainment table. I gotta get a better job."

Additional information on this and other LSU AgCenter programs is available online at www.lsuagcenter.com.

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Contacts:
Traig Varnado at (504) 838-1170 or tvarnado@agcenter.lsu.edu
Melanie Burl at (225) 838-1170 or mburl@agcenter.lsu.edu

Writers:
Pamela Marquis at (504) 838-1170 or pmarquis@agcenter.lsu.edu
Johnny Morgan at (225) 578-8484 or jmorgan@agcenter.lsu.edu