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WINTERSVILLE - A select group of students from Indian Creek High School recently got a taste of the real world during "Real Money, Real World", a program sponsored by Jefferson County's Ohio State University Extension Office.

The program is designed to teach students about real world finances and situations. Janice Yeske, extension educator with the local OSU Extension Office, worked with Julie Robinson, an ICHS teacher, to bring the program to the school.

According to Yeske, the program, which is in first year at the school, includes two sections of learning.

"The teachers handle the first part which involves four lessons," she said. "They teach the difference between gross and net income, taxes, Social Security, how to write a check, the importance of saving money early in life and the difference between needs and wants."

The second part involves a presentation by the Extension officials, as well as community volunteers, explained Yeske.

"We present each student with fake jobs and salaries as well as if they are married and how many kids they have," she said. "We also make it so each student has a credit card debt."

Each student received a gross monthly income from which health insurance, retirement and federal tax, state and local taxes were taken.

"They had the leftover money (net pay) to use toward child care, clothing, communications, contributions, credit, entertainment, food, housing, transportation and utilities," Yeske explained. "We had a table set up for each of these sections and students were able to decide which was their best option according to their net pay."

Twelve local business people manned the tables, including Debbie Hukill of Oklok Criss and Associates, insurance; Terri Antill of the Community Foundation of Jefferson County, financial advice; Jeannie Barker, a Retired Senior Volunteer Program volunteer, communications; Pat Butler, an RSVP volunteer, contributions; John Boleigh of Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, transportation; Harry Grafton of Cain Realty, housing and utilities; Pauline Cerone of Franciscan University of Steubenville, child care; Cheryl Lightfritz, OSU Extension, food; Molly Tevis, OSU Extension, clothing; and Joseph Maiorano, OSU Extension, credit.

Students involved in Robinson's Career Lifeplans and Relationship or Consumer Financial Management classes were placed in a different occupations.

Junior Kayleigh Grinnan played the role of a bank teller with one child and a monthly net income of $1,642.

"This program was a lot of fun, but I never realized how much child care costs," she said. "I had to put $500 a month toward day care. I ended up $216 in debt."

Senior Kristy Pehanick who made $2,900 a month as a bus driver learned a lot from this experience.

"I realized that I want to study something in college where I can make enough money to support myself," she said.

Robinson had professionals from the community come in once a week to speak to her classes and hopes to offer the Real Money, Real World program again.

"This lesson teaches the kids so much, and hopefully we are able to be involved every trimester," she said.

Real Money, Real World is offered to every school in the county and is a free program, according to Yeske.

For information, she can be contacted at (740) 264-2212.

(Looman can be contacted at jlooman@heraldstaronline.com.)