Adult life simulations teach teenagers the highs and lows of financial planning

Matt Jordan April 4, 2019

Last Updated: April 15, 2019

MEDFORD, Ore. – 150 middle school students spent the day finding out what it’s like to pay rent, lose a job and be a single parent.

Those are just a few scenarios Hedrick Middle School students went through as part of Junior Achievement’s “Finance Park.”

The interactive simulation had students create a virtual life, complete with jobs, families, and debts.

It then challenged them to navigate some of life’s hardest choices.

“Before kids get into high school and have their own job, their own money their own credit cards, talking about staying out of credit trouble early, and the longer you’re saving for retirement, the sooner they start thinking about it the more important it is,” said Program Manager Molly Edison.

The program runs all week long with more than 1000 middle and high school students attending.

Matt Jordan April 4, 2019

Matt Jordan

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Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.