high school
Adulting 101 Class gives teens a peek at future roles and responsibilities BY MJ SL ABY
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graduate high school,” she says, “I hate to stomp on your dreams, but that’s probably not going to happen.” The students, who were nearing the end of a monthslong project on budgeting, didn’t seem surprised. Officially titled Adult Roles and Responsibilities, McComb’s class covers topics including budgeting, banking and even planning a wedding. The state-approved course is an elective for juniors and seniors, and roughly 30 students are in a class. In the 2018-19 school year, students from 184 high schools in the state — public and private — completed the class, according to the most recent data available from
the Indiana Department of Education. Per the department’s course framework, students in the project-based class apply math and language arts skills to study topics including financial responsibility and interpersonal relationships and responsibilities. “This course provides the foundation for continuing and postsecondary education in all career areas related to individual and family life,” the state’s guidelines say. LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE McComb combines state requirements with her background in finance and the expertise of guest speakers, such as human resources directors and
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ulie McComb weaves through the front rows of desks in her Westfield High School classroom in Indiana as students answer questions about credit scores and car loans. The day’s lesson is about transportation: how to budget for a car and other associated costs — insurance, registration, license plates and gas. And McComb explains how credit scores could affect a car loan. “Name a car you’d want,” she asks the room of juniors and seniors. “Matte black Lamborghini,” one student replies. McComb pauses. “As nice as it would be to go out and buy a Lamborghini when you
94 BACK TO SCHOOL | 2020