Youngsters get lessons in life

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Electricity, homes, groceries, children and unexpected expenses — Newcastle Elementary School fifth-graders got a glimpse into all the costs and responsibilities that come with being an adult, thanks to the Newcastle High School Future Business Leaders of America group. 
Tables representing various adult expenses lined the Newcastle High School practice gym on Jan. 15, marking the end of a lesson on careers, expenses and budgeting. The lesson didn’t begin that day in the gym, though, according to FBLA sponsor Alysha Engle, but a few weeks ago when the student organization partnered with the fifth-graders. 
Engle said the group of high school students went to the elementary school to help the younger students take an aptitude test, then find a career and salary based off those results. The cumulative activity is what took place on Jan. 15, a morning spent budgeting, paying bills and learning about different careers. 
“When the kids first got here they went and got assigned random information, like how many kids they had,” Engle said. “Then they go around to the different booths and pick things like their house and car.” 
She noted that at those tables students had several options to choose from while other expenses didn’t vary. 
“That is what you owe for your electricity,” Aiden Chick could be overheard telling one of the fifth-grade students. “There are no options. That’s what it is.”
While paying their bills, students were tasked with keeping track of their budget and how much money remained with each expense paid. Engle said several of the students went well over their monthly budget by the time the exercise was complete, and those students might think a little more carefully about the careers they choose in real life. Some of the guests provided another reality check in the way of actual job duties versus what the fifth-graders perceived. 
“We also brought in some professionals from the community to talk with the students about their careers and the fact that what they do now, isn’t always what they did,” Engle said. 
In talking with those actually working in the community, the students were also able to see that finding just the right job fit often comes in steps.
“We want to show the kids that some people have several jobs before they find the one that is right for them, and that just because you start out doing one thing doesn’t mean you are stuck there,” Engle explained.