Barbara Brunner of Batavia Heights Christian Childcare assists LOOK to Clermont participant Nathan Francis with his mock budget as part of the group’s finance theme day on Jan. 20 at the 4-H Hall. In the Real Money, Real World simulation, which teaches youth about budget choices similar to those they will make as adults, Francis learned the difficulties of balancing a budget with limited resources.
LOOK to Clermont participants learned about finances Jan. 20 at the Clermont County Fairgrounds’ 4-H Hall.

LOOK to Clermont is a youth development course, operated by Ohio State University Extension Clermont County and UC Clermont College, for high school juniors and seniors. Participants develop leadership skills, while earning post-secondary enrollment option (PSEO) credit, by meeting each month for a theme day and completing a group project.

At January’s finance-themed class, students participated in Real Money, Real World (RMRW), a research-based finance education program offered through Extension and customized to the Ohio economy. RMRW offers a hands-on simulation to teach youth about lifestyle and budget choices similar to those they will make as adults.

RMRW teaches the relation between higher education and earning power, a lesson valuable to juniors and seniors making post-high school decisions.

In the simulation, students assume the role of an adult who is the sole income provider for a family. They receive an occupation, monthly salary and the number of children they are raising. First, students learn to subtract savings, taxes and health costs from their income. The amount of money left is what they can spend on common household expenses.

The simulation involved staff and volunteers representing businesses found in a monthly budget: communications including phone, internet and cable staffed by Marti Kleinfelter of the Clermont League of Women Voters; clothing staffed by Amy Elberfield of Jockey Person to Person; student loans and credit staffed by volunteer Rita Ferguson; entertainment and charity staffed by volunteer Maureen Mullarkey; food staffed by Extension educator Gigi Neal; transportation and insurance staffed by Extension staff Krista Rose; and childcare staffed by Barbara Brunner of Batavia Heights Christian Childcare. LOOK advisors Glenda Neff of UC and Kelly Royalty of Extension staffed the housing and utilities activities.

LOOK to Clermont is accepting applications for the 2015-16 class. For information, please contact Clermont Extension at 513-732-7070.

Clermont Extension is a non-formal education branch of The Ohio State University. The office merges needs of local citizens with OSU’s research through four focus areas: Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources and Community Development.