Evergy believes that we are only as healthy as the communities in which we live and work. And, our hometowns are as unique as their customers.

“We invest in opportunities that retain and attract business as well as stimulate workforce readiness, access to opportunities for all ages and backgrounds and basic needs that help people contribute to society.”

Recently, Evergy presented The Pando Initiative with a generous gift to support Reality U. This financial literacy program aims to help students gain important financial literacy knowledge to help them plan for their future while recognizing the importance of their education today and how it is tied to their financial future.

Now more than ever, empowering students on the steps they can take to be successful in their financial future is crucial. We are delighted that community partners, like Evergy support our mission and believe that having students who are knowledgeable about their financial health grows stronger communities for all of us.

To learn more about how YOU can bring Reality U to your school, or volunteer for this eye opening and rewarding experience contact Patrick or Jess at psehl@pandokids.org or jciriaco@pandokids.org. Visit the video link here to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnrztIAi3G0

The Pando Initiative has been successfully connecting with more than 200,000 students in area schools since 1990.  Our goal is to help remove obstacles that keep students from reaching their goals and being successful. We have dedicated team members in each of our schools to help address both academic and non-academic impediments that prevent students’ learning.

In addition to the meaningful work that we do in the Wichita, Haysville and Derby School District, The Pando Initiative has created a financial literacy program called Reality U. Reality U brings a bit of “reality” to students through a 75-minute interactive and engaging personal finance simulation. Students imagine their life as a 26-year-old and complete an online lifestyle survey. This information is entered into our trademarked software, along with their current GPA, to create a unique and individualized future scenario.

Each scenario includes the student’s monthly income, credit card debt, student loan information, as well as marital and family status. Students are given a checkbook register to track their monthly purchases from the 12 booths representing services and/or products that adults typically must purchase or consider each month. Sometimes they must return a “purchase” and make a different decision. The checkbook register can’t fall below zero!

This event actively engages students to help them understand the importance of how their performance in school today impacts their future.

As an organization, we are continually looking for ways that we can share the meaningful work that we do within the community. We are thrilled to announce that Pando has received a generous grant from Emprise Bank to help provide funding and resources to give us the opportunity to create videos to tell stories and bring awareness to the community as well as new partnerships.

The funding that has been granted to us for this project will help Pando to share the impact that our programs have, and can be used for volunteer recruitment, promotional materials and much more. We are proud of the work that we do in schools, and on the road and can’t wait to share it with others. Thank you Emprise for believing in the work that we do and your commitment to the growth of The Pando Initiative.

By Brian McCauley, Senior Managing Editor with The Miami County Republic

PAOLA — Sitting on bleachers in the Paola High School gymnasium, sophomore students looked out at representations of real-world decisions, challenges and life events they may find themselves facing in just a few years.

Stations manned by real local professionals tackled topics like housing, utilities, transportation, insurance, child care, clothes and hair, unexpected life events, student loans, food, phone and fun, and emergency funds and investments. There was even a table called “Help, I need more money!”

It was all part of Reality U, a program designed to give students a taste of the real world. The event took place Monday, March 28, and involved sophomores from PHS and eighth-graders from Paola Middle School.

Before students participated in the interactive program, they took a lifestyle survey and were given a Reality U passport that listed their occupation and monthly income. The income was directly related to the students’ grade point average — the higher the GPA, the higher the income.

School administrators said that helped illustrate how working hard in high school can pay off later on in life.

Some students also had more income to play with because they were selected to be “married” to one of their classmates, which meant they managed a joint income, although some found that sharing money was a challenge in itself.

“Don’t worry, managing money is the easiest part of being married…or maybe not, we’ll see,” Reality U Director Patrick Sehl told the students during a briefing before the activity began.

Married couples were required to stay together throughout the exercise, even if they had trouble seeing eye to eye.

“There are no divorces today,” Sehl said. “You can’t afford one anyway.”

Sehl encouraged the students to visit the different stations in any order and to spend their money however they wanted.

“You’re the ones making decisions today about what you purchase,” Sehl said.

There were a few rules, such as needing to buy a house before getting utilities, and needing to buy a car before getting insurance. Sehl encouraged the married couples to make big financial decisions together.

“When you buy a car, if he gets a Porsche and she gets a bus pass, that makes my little heart sad,” Sehl said.

He added that the students can always go to the extra money station to get some additional funds, but it will require them to get another job.

“You might need to drive for Uber or work a night shift,” Sehl said.

The job station was the first stop for “married” sophomores Emily Smith and Jackson Craig. Emily said Jackson needed to bring in some more money to make the partnership more equal. Jackson joked that he is a “trophy husband.”

“You better have dinner done by the time I get home,” Emily replied with a laugh.

The child care station featured baby dolls, and a few minutes into the event Sehl triggered several of the dolls to start crying as he handed them out to random students. The high school students learned how difficult it can be to hold a crying baby in one hand while trying to sign paperwork with the other.

PHS Principal Jeff Hines said he loved how some of the students instinctively started rocking the doll and quietly shushing to try and calm the baby.

The gym was bustling with activity throughout the event as students went station to station and tried to manage their money as best they could.

“I’m married to an accountant who is MIA,” one girl said to a group of friends as she made her way to each booth by herself.

At the conclusion of the event, Sehl talked with the students about what they learned from the experience.

He said some students will respond with “I’m never moving out,” but others talk about having a greater appreciation for what their parents provide, and that is Sehl’s ultimate goal.

I want them to go home and tell their parents, “thank you,” Sehl said.