The 4-H Reality Store is an experiential learning activity designed to help young people better consider their options (career and education) and learn some budgeting principals as well as general decision making.
Each youth is surveyed as to educationa goals, career goals, GPA, Extra Curricular activities, and general intrests.
Based upon their answers they are assigned a job, salary, and told that we're pretending they're 10 years past High School.
Each 4-Her draws from a hat to decide the # of children that their family will have.
Next they must go around to 24 booths (manned by volunteers) and purchase all the things that thier family will need for 1 month. With 1 month's salary. This is always interesting. Each 4-Her must make decisions on what type of housing, car, food, clothing, vacations, medical care etc. that their family will have.
The observations, and the comments from the follow up surveys show that many 4-Hers had never given the future much thought. Many comment (either in person or on their written evaluations) things like "My parents have to do this every month?".
Follow up surveys show that 18% do at least some re-evaluation of their educational goals and career plans. All have had a small dose of reality.