More than 350 eighth graders from across Knox, Warren and Henderson counties gathered at Carl Sandburg College in late November to take part in Welcome to the Real World, a nearly 30-year program that simulates the life choices students will face as they transition from school into adulthood.
The daylong program combined a realistic budgeting simulation in which students selected a career and received a mock monthly income. They then rotated through stations covering banking, housing, transportation, insurance, entertainment and other living expenses. At each stop, adult volunteers helped students think through real-world costs and trade-offs — often discovering that the lifestyle they imagined didn’t match the career they had chosen or its paycheck.
For many students, it was their first direct look at how adult decisions quickly stack up.
The program also included a career panel where local professionals spoke and fielded questions from students. Jason O’Brien, a financial advisor with Edward Jones who participated in the panel, said the students’ curiosity stood out.
“The questions were extremely thoughtful,” O’Brien said. “One student asked what advice I would give my daughters, and it made me pause and really think about that. The best advice I was ever given was to try to pair what you’re good at with what you enjoy. If you can do that, you’ll enjoy going to work every day.”
After the simulation and panel presentations, students moved into Sandburg’s gymnasium for a hands-on exploration with nearly 40 employers, agencies and training programs from across the region.
Students asked questions, handled equipment, and spoke one-on-one with professionals about education requirements, daily responsibilities and long-term opportunities.
In previous years, various organizations hosted separate events, but through collaboration, they combined their efforts into a single program.
“Years ago, Extension and ROE both had separate programs,” said Tracy Engstrom, coordinator of career development at Carl Sandburg College. “We joined forces, and it’s worked really well — half financial literacy, half career exploration, all in one place.”
Engstrom said the long-term impact of the event often shows up in unexpected ways.
“We regularly hear from students who come back years later as Sandburg volunteers and say, ‘I remember doing this in eighth grade,’” she said. “We also hear from employers whose own kids went through the program. That tells us it made an impression.”
More than 150 volunteers, including business owners, retirees and professionals, guided students through the experience.
Shelby Carlson, a University of Illinois Extension 4-H youth development educator serving Henderson, Knox, McDonough and Warren counties, said the program’s success depends heavily on collaboration.
“This simply doesn’t happen without community involvement,” Carlson said. “Those one-on-one conversations are where the real learning happens.”
While the event may appear locally focused, its impact has spread far beyond Galesburg and the surrounding communities.
Carlson, a Knox County native and former 4-H member, was recently honored at both the state and national levels by the Illinois Extension Professionals for Youth Education and the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals.
She received three awards: a Communicator Award for a promotional video highlighting Welcome to the Real World, an Excellence in Workforce Development Programming Award, and an Excellence in Teamwork Award for her collaborative leadership efforts.
Though recognized for her work, Carlson credited the program’s success to others.
“This program works because of collaboration,” she said. “Schools, community partners, volunteers — everyone plays a part in helping students think about their futures in a real, meaningful way.”
Participating groups included CBI Bank & Trust, Dave’s Auto Body, Galesburg Area Vocational Center, Galesburg Broadcasting, Galesburg Fire Department, Galesburg Police Department, Hinchliff-Pearson-West, Knox County 911, Knox County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, Ninth Judicial Circuit Court, ROE No. 33’s child development program, and multiple Sandburg programs including nursing, dental hygiene, radiologic technology, information technology, welding, TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Upward Bound Math/Science, along with Yemm Auto Group and agricultural education partners.
As interest in the program continues to grow, organizers are discussing future expansions. Engstrom said some schools have begun requesting similar financial literacy programming for high school sophomores and juniors, recognizing the value of revisiting these concepts as students move closer to adulthood.
Photos courtesy of Carl Sandburg College
