County Prep’s Social Skills Club Learns Life and Consumer Skills at Lifetown Shoppes

County Prep’s Social Skills Club Learns Life and Consumer Skills at Lifetown Shoppes

The Social Skills Club at County Prep recently got an opportunity to learn and practice everyday consumer and life skills in a safe and controlled setting at the Lifetown Shoppes in Livingston, NJ. Lifetown is a simulated Main Street which provides a supportive and hands-on retail environment and town square. The facility features the kinds of stores encountered in everyday life such as a grocer, bookstore, tee-shirt maker, nail salon, pet store and other retailers. Lifetown allowed our students to experience life as independent consumers where they could make their own decisions.

Students’ first stop was Lifetown’s Regal Bank where they learned about filling out bank withdrawal slips and received real money to spend at the stores. Students interacted with the store “owners” to purchase goods and services of their choosing. Students learned how to make purchases, exchange money, and budget their expenditures.

Healthcare was an important learning aspect of Lifetown. A doctor and dental office was available where students learned about making healthcare appointments and the need to show a medical insurance card to receive care. A quick health check-up and instruction on proper brushing was provided.

Lifetown also offered other experiences to make the visit an enjoyable learning opportunity. Tasty treats were for sale. Students could purchase snacks such as popcorn and ice cream and have their pictures taken at one of the shops. A simulated movie theater gave students the opportunity to learn about buying a ticket. Lifetown’s layout included a simulated street and traffic light. Students rode bikes on the street and learned about following the crossing guard’s instructions and obeying the traffic signals. Students also enjoyed playing basketball in the gym and had fun in the specially designed play area.

Students shared their takeaway lessons and feelings from the trip:

“Shopping on my own made me feel important as if I were an adult.” A.V.

“Lifetown reminds me of when I go to the mall shopping for clothes.” N.J.

“I had a good time in LifeTown. I learned how to track my spending and had fun with my friends.” S.D.

“My experience on this trip was great because I got to spend time with my friends and talk to shopkeepers about purchases.” A.N.

“I really enjoyed the trip because it felt like Bayonne because it had a pet store, Doctor's office, Shoprite, a Movie Theater, Picture taking, and Art store.” S. D.

“My experience on the field trip was great because I was spending time with my friends and getting to know others, learning to spend money wisely and buying good stuff from there.” S.S.

“The field trip was great because I spent time with my friends and learned about the real world. It was also fun when we went to the play area.” E.M.

“I like how we got to go on the playground and do the funny stuff and the part where we were given money so we can spend it on fun times.” R.B.

“I really enjoyed the field trip, it was a great experience and everyone was really nice.” E.G.

“It was a very interesting experience, it was great experiencing some level of adulthood. Overall 9/10.” C.P.

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