Volunteer for the Chamber's Keeping it Real program April 10

To volunteer, call Keyla Handley at 663-4542 or email keyla@shelbychamber.org. Click here for more.

By design, a quick tour through the Keeping it Real program can change a student’s perspective — if not his or her life.

Created by the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce, Keeping it Real has introduced hundreds of students in Shelby County Schools to the cost of “real life” during the 2013-2014 school year. 

Targeting ninth- and some 10th-grade students, the program provides each with a random post-high school financial scenario. After that, it’s up to them to make ends meet.

Using their monthly salaries, students visits 12 booths consisting of financial requirements including transportation, housing, child care, groceries and education. Based on their situation, they calculate what they can afford in those areas.

Quickly, students realize surviving on a high school diploma alone is a tall order.

“Life is kind of difficult,” Chelsea High School 10th-grade student Jada Foster said during the program in March. “When you’re an adult, you have to handle so many responsibilities. It’s overwhelming and really stressful. Now I know what my parents go through, and you should not take anything for granted.”

Like most students who participated, Jada said she knew housing was expensive, but she didn’t consider how much insurance added on. It was one of many surprises for her during the program.

“I didn’t even know utilities cost over $200, or groceries are $500?” she said. “I mean, I can just eat Ramen noodles all day.”

Chamber President and CEO Kirk Mancer said the program is a collaborative effort between the Greater Shelby Chamber and Shelby County Schools designed to be a “proactive measure to grow and educate Shelby County’s workforce.”

“Businesses in Shelby County, they’re the future employers of these students,” Mancer said. “So, businesses being at the table collaborating on these types of things is beneficial. We want to make sure these students are solid in the basic skills they need.”

Mancer said the program would expand over the next four years, offering tiered training to each class of students. Next year, the Chamber plans to introduce a career fair for 10th-grade students. The year after, 11th-grade students will have access to communication training meant to help them in interviews and on their resumes and applications.

All the while, the Chamber plans to continue Keeping it Real for the freshman classes.

“We’re trying to help the students understand their priorities, and that if they finish high school and continue their education through a two-year or four-year college they will have more resources to do what they need — and want — to do further on down the road,” Mancer said in a statement. 

So far, the message is hitting its mark. It’s worked for at least one student.

“I’m really going to try to reach for the highest goal now,” Jada said. “I’m going to get my doctorate so I can really feel good about where I am for the rest of my life. I was struggling through this, but this taught me something.”