Amanda Ellis
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The first time I volunteered for Reality Check, I was surprised by how seriously 9th graders took life in Realville USA.
“Well, I haven’t visited the bank yet.”
“I’ll need to go back to school or I’ll never cover all these expenses.”
“Wow, stuff is expensive.”
Yeah, you’re telling me, kid.
Reality Check is a real life simulation for high school first year students to think about what their lives will be like in nine to 10 years. They indicate the education level they think they’ll attain, the kind of housing and car they want, how many children they might like, and more.
Now, if you have at least a few years of ‘adulting’ under your belt, one perk of volunteering for Reality Check is the funny perspectives students have on what things cost, how much taxes are, etc. Remember when you wanted to be a fashion designer who lived in an 11-bedroom mansion?
After students think about their preferences, they’re assigned a hypothetical career, family and income scenario. One student might be an electrical engineer who is single with a 4-year-old boy. Another might be a hairstylist with no children and a spouse who is also employed. Pretty much any family or career scenario you can imagine is a possibility.
Participants then visit 12 booths, staffed by volunteers, where they make decisions regarding typical expenses and what will fit their budgets. Stations range from Realville Automotive to Realville Utilities to That’s Life – a booth that doles out unexpected events that will impact the budget (and we all know how enjoyable those are in the non-hypothetical world).
Great fun is had by all, but more importantly, students learn important life lessons around money, education and careers. They reported based on the 2016-17 school year that:
- 98% better understand how education affects future salary
- 90% will wait to have children until they can afford them
- 77% learned about payroll deductions
- 90% better understand their parents’ concerns about money
Reality Check is one of six career readiness programs the Chattanooga Chamber brings to more than 16,500 students in nearly every Hamilton County public school each year.
They’re delivered by more than 1,100 volunteers with varied professional backgrounds from more than 200 companies.
These volunteers use their life and work experience to engage our future workforce with programs spanning grades six to 12:
Meet a Volunteer
June Puett, Extension Agent at University of Tennessee Extension, helped develop several of the Chamber’s career readiness programs and is a committed volunteer. Here she tells us more about her experiences helping deliver these to students:
Trend: When have students made you laugh during your work with these programs?
Puett: As part of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire program, we ask students to hold a baby doll as we explain it costs $245,000 to raise a child. The students’ reactions range from cradling the baby as if it were real to goofing off. Both reactions result in a lot of laughter. Either way, they have realizations about waiting to have children until they earn a good salary, as well as the importance of staying out of debt so they can save and invest at an early age.
In our scenario, they stop investing $200 per month in their retirement account due to the expense of parenting. Luckily, they’ve hypothetically contributed to that account for 10 years and allowed the money to accumulate, so they’ll earn $600,000 at retirement age due to compounded interest. But they could have earned thousands more if they’d kept contributing.
It’s estimated that millennials will need $2 million to maintain a comfortable retirement lifestyle. We inform students that many employers no longer offer pension plans, so it will be up to them to develop good money skills and discipline with everyday spending habits.
We start this program by asking who wants to be a millionaire, and we laugh when every hand in the room goes up. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but we focus on how having enough money to pay bills makes life less stressful.
T: How did you get involved as a volunteer for our career readiness programs?
P: In 2002, I invited the Chamber to participate in the local Tennessee Saves financial literacy program. We realized our goals were similar and that was the basis of a 15-year partnership. I bring my background in education and experience in program development and volunteer management, while the Chamber provides a network of professionals and resources.
I chaired the Reality Check initiative and developed the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire program.
We introduced Millionaire before personal finance courses became a requirement for high school graduation in Tennessee. Today it enhances what students learn in the classroom. They appreciate the business community taking time to visit and share real world experiences.
I love watching their expressions when they learn how much credit can cost them and how much money saving for a down payment can save them over time.
Teachers and counselors often share their own experiences. They say if they had participated in a program like Millionaire in high school, they would have made better choices about money.
T: How do you feel our work with these career readiness programs makes a difference?
P: We measure impact through immediate feedback and surveys. It’s rewarding to read the comments.
An East Ridge student said he’d been spending all his income from two jobs on two trucks. The program motivated him to sell one of his vehicles and save $400 a month.
Students also report small spending changes, such as eating at home instead of out and reducing the number of soft drinks they consume.
The Millionaire program discusses the economic impact of smoking, and last year, 82 percent of those surveyed said they’d reduced or stopped the use of tobacco products or didn’t start in the first place.
Want to get involved?
Contact Cathy Humble at [email protected] or 423.763.4321.
Special thanks to career readiness program sponsors:
Hamilton County Department of Education
Chattanooga State Community College
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
SILVER SPONSORS:
Lookout Counseling Association
McKee Foods Corp.
PlayCore
Scenic Community Credit Union
SHRM Chattanooga
Signal Centers
BRONZE SPONSORS:
Edward Jones
Franklin Wealth Management
Gear Up Project – UTC
Millennium Bank
The Samaritan Center
Southeastern Trust Company
Tennessee Saves
Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union
Special thanks to companies who give their employees’ time to our career readiness programs:
3H Group Hotels
3M Company
58 Trophies Awards & Apparel
AGC of East Tennessee
Abrams Publishing
Academic Solutions
Actor & Script
Adaptive Methods
Advanced Energy Engineering & Design, Inc.
Advantage Staffing
Aesthetic & Wellness Spa
AIM Institute/Career Link
Alder & Cox, Inc.
Allen Family Resource Center
Allstate Insurance
Amazon
Ambiance Models & Talent
American Job Center
American Society of Quality (ASQ)
American Welding Society
Animal Care Center of Ooltewah
Annimar Associates
Application Researchers
ArtsBuild
Associated General Contractors
Association for Visual Artists
Astec, Inc.
Atlantic Capital Bank
Atlas Insurance
AXA Financial Advisors
Bank of America
Baker’s Barber College
Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon
Barret Albritton, Attorney
Beaulieu of America
Benchmark PT
Bethel Bible Village
Blood Assurance
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Brewer Media Group
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Bryan College
Capital Financial Group
Caris Healthcare
CBL Properties
CertaPro Painters
Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel
Chambliss Center for Children
Chattanooga Allergy Clinic
Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Chattanooga Business Machines
Chattanooga Chapter TSCPA
Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Chattanooga Electrical JATC
Chattanooga Fire Department
Chattanooga Funeral Home
Chattanooga Goodwill
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Dept.
Chattanooga Housing Authority
Chattanooga Kids on the Block
Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Police Department
Chattanooga Public Library
Chattanooga Regional Manufacturing Association
Chattanooga Riverboat Company
Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga State Students
Chattanooga State TCAT
Chattanooga State VW Academy
Chattanooga Theatre Center
Chattanooga Times-Free Press
Chattanooga Zoo
Chattanoogan Hotel
Chattem, Inc.
CHP International
Cigna Healthcare
Citadel Communications
City of Chattanooga
City of East Ridge
City of Soddy-Daisy
Classic Network
Classical 90.5 WSMC
Cleaning Solutions
Coffey Insurance Agency
College Access Center
Comcast Chattanooga
Command Center
Community Foundation
Community Impact of Chattanooga
Community National Bank
Community Reconciliation
Community Trust & Banking Company
Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Convergys
Cornerstone Automation
Corporate Connections
Courtyard by Marriott
Covenant Allergy
Creative Discovery Museum
CSCC Ahead Program
CSO
CTC Technology
CWC Office Furnishings
CWLI
Dale’s Heating & Air
Debo’s Diner’s Inc. – Steak-n-Shake
Delta Airlines
Delta Sigma Theta
Department of Children’s Services
Dixie Industries
Double Cola
DoubleTree Hotel
Edward Jones Investment
EPB
episode49, LLC
Erlanger Health System
Fiberglass Specialties
First Tennessee Bank
First Volunteer Bank
Fitness Together
Franklin Wealth Management
G.R. Rush & Company
George Financial
Gill Industries
Girl Scouts
Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison
Greater Chattanooga Sports Committee
Green’s Eco Build & Design
H & R Block
HTI Staffing
Haman’s New Drivers
Hamilton County Department of Education
Hamilton County Government
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department
Hamilton Place Mall
Hampton Inn
Handyman Matters
Healthcare Services Credit Union
Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough
Heatec
Home Away Extended Stay Studios
Home Depot
Homewood Suites
Honcho Hound Productions, LLC
Hope Job Support Ministry
Hospice of Chattanooga
IBEW Local Union #175
IBM
Independent Youth Services Foundation
ING Financial Partners
INS Network
Inception Beauty Industry
International College of Arts & Beauty
Interscape, Inc.
John Deere Health
Journey Educational Services.
Keller Williams Realty
Kelly Services
Kids On The Block
Komatsu America Corp.
Kordsa Global
Lattimore, Black, Morgan and Cain, P.C.
Lee University
Legal Shield
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Tax Service
Life Care Centers of America
Luken Holdings
Mannington Mills, Inc.
March Adams & Associates
Market Research Institute
Marketing Velocity
Marriott Downtown – Terrace Restaurant
Mars & Wrigley
Mathnasium
McKamey Animal Center
McKee Foods
McKoon, Williams & Haun
Memorable Events
Memorial Health Care System
Memorial North Park
Merrill Lynch
Mesa Associates, Inc.
MetLife
Millennium Bank
Miller & Martin
Miller-Motte Technical College
Modern Woodmen
Molly Maid of Chattanooga
Morgan Stanley
Mountain City Publishing
Mountain View Ford
Mr. Transmission
Mr. Trophy
Neill & Gunter, Inc.
New Covenant Fellowship Church
New Horizons Computer Learning Center
North American Credit Services
Northside Neighborhood House
Northwest Georgia Bank
Northwest Mutual Financial Network
New York Life
Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Technical College
Office Depot
Office Furniture Warehouse
Omni Source Staffing
Ooltewah Baptist Church
Ooltewah United Methodist Church
Open Arms Care
P & C Construction
Parent Volunteers
Parkridge Medical Center
Partners in Care
Partnership for Families, Children & Adults
PMI Chattanooga
Pre-Paid Legal Service
Private Dispute Resolution Services
PTSA
Public Education Foundation
RSS Insurance
Randstad
Raymond James & Assoc.
Read House Hotel
Realty Center
Realty Executives
Rentenbach Contractors
Republic Parking
Roadtec
Ruby Falls
S & S Creations
Sandler Training
Scenic City Realty
Scenic City Signs
Scenic Community Credit Union
Schultz & Associates
SE TN Development District
Shelter Insurance
Sherman Reilly
Signal Centers
Smart Bank
Southeast Diesel, Inc.
Southern Adventist University
Southern Belle
Southern Champion Tray
Southern Management
Spherion Staffing
Stanley Heights Baptist
State Farm Insurance
State of TN
Stop the Madness
Stowers CAT Machinery
SunTrust
Synovus Bank
TEICC
TP Events
Tennessee American Water Co.
Tennessee Aquarium
Tennessee Army National Guard
Tennessee College of Allied Technology
Tennessee Solar Solutions
Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Public Power Association
Tennessee Wesleyan College
The Crash Pad
The Meeting Company
The Plaque Shack
The Raines Group
Thinking Media
Thompson Engineering
T-Mobile
TN Army National Guard
TN Department of Transportation
TN Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development
TN Small Business Development Center
TN Valley Federal Credit Union
TN Valley Railroad
Two Maids & A Mop
U S Xpress
U. S. Dept. of Labor Job Corps
UBS Mountain City Financial
United Way
UnitedHealth Group
University of Phoenix
Unum
Uptown Vision Center
Urban League of Greater Chattanooga
US Dept. of Labor
UT Extension
UTC
UTC Retirees
UTC Students
UTC Upward Bound
Virginia College of Business
Visual Group
Vision Hospitality Group
Volkert
Volkswagen Group
W.R. Grace
Walden Security
WDSI Fox 61
WEC Welding Institute
Welcome Mat Services
Westinghouse
Worth Construction
WRCB-TV3
WUTC Radio
YMCA – YES Program
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