USD 265 Goddard Public Schools -

On Thursday, Oct. 5th, the students and staff of Goddard Academy, Goddard Virtual School, and Successful Dreams Goddard were all transported into the future with “Reality U” - a Pando Initiative program that helps instill real-life financial literacy and awareness into high school students. The program reiterates the importance of continuing and finishing education, and how that can positively impact future opportunities.

By implementing an interactive, 75-minute personal finance and lifestyle choice simulation, Reality U shows students the impact of decision making throughout their lives. For example, each student gets assigned an occupation with an aligned compensation rate. They factor in their simulated life choices (such as marital status, whether they choose to have children, and if so - how many, etc.) and have to balance budgets while weighing options such as which car they want to purchase, or what type of home they can afford. 

Students compare affordable options with more extravagant lifestyle choices, as well as develop a real-life understanding of how these purchasing decisions can impact their day-to-day lives in the long run. Additionally, it showcases how the choices that young people make early in life can have a lasting impact on what options may be available to them down the road. “This has been a great learning opportunity. I really enjoyed the experience of real-life situations and choices,” shared Austen Williams, a sophomore who participated in Reality U. “You have to try to think about the mental aspect too; don’t only think about the money. Your mental health matters, too.”

One community partner that participated in the Reality U event at Goddard Academy was the Kansas Army National Guard, represented by 2018 Eisenhower High School graduate Sydney Blackwell. “I love coming back to Goddard and seeing familiar faces! Having the opportunity to create a positive impact and educate students on the possibilities open to them after graduation is empowering and helps create and continue the feeling of community for them,” shared Sgt. Blackwell. By partnering with community organizations and businesses, Reality U additionally provides job and post-secondary education opportunities for students close to graduation, as well as gives them a peek into the workforce world and what may be expected of them once they enter it.

Pando Initiative, the Wichita-based nonprofit organization that hosts Reality U, creates connections between students at area schools and their surrounding communities. The students at Goddard Academy, Goddard Virtual School, and Successful Dreams Goddards were all supported in their efforts at Reality U by community partners (local businesses, organizations, law enforcement, armed services, and other entities) who volunteered to be on-site to discuss life decisions with these students. “Attitude and effort are the difference makers,” emphasized Jacob Bentley, the Reality U Manager. “It doesn’t matter what field you go into, if you go in with positivity, it can make all the difference.”