COAL GROVE – When Uncle Same held out his hand, the students seemed a little surprised.

Wednesday, April 11, 2001

COAL GROVE – When Uncle Same held out his hand, the students seemed a little surprised.

"He gave them their salaries, then told them how much taxes they had to pay every month," said Lawrence County Extension agent Laura Jane Murphy, who took her "Welcome to the Real World" show on the road Tuesday.

Eighth-graders at Dawson-Bryant Middle School traveled around tables in the gym for hours, using their mock salaries to pay for homes, cars, utilities, groceries, entertainment and other "real world" events.

The county 4-H program received a grant to help teach students not only the value of a dollar but about careers, Ms. Murphy said.

For example, each student received a salary for his or her chosen career. Then, they had to use that money to start a savings account, visit Dave and Dee Thomas for housing, see Jerry Fields about a car, go to the grocery, pay their utility bill at the AEP table and see what was left over for the movies, she said.

For those who spent too much, and needed a little extra help, they visited financial planner Jason Stephens.

"Some went through saying, ‘I haven’t even bought a car or got groceries and I’m out of money,’" Ms. Murphy said. "Jason was great. Even with the ones with a lot of salary, he had them kick back a little more into savings or buy the house instead of renting, really making them think about the value of their money."

Tomi Blankenship, Dawson-Bryant school counselor who helped coordinate the program, said many of the students learned that higher-paying jobs required more education.

And they now realize the serious business of being a part of society, Ms. Blankenship said.

"A couple of them said they know now what their parents have been saying when they tell them they don’t have money to spend on the extras," she said.

Ms. Blankenship held a study session with the students after the program, discussing issues each faced as they experienced a "Welcome to the Real World."

The program is available to other schools and groups. Contact Ms. Murphy at 533-4322 for more information.