Like everything else in life, what students get out of the REAL program depends heavily upon what they put into it. Some students who are bored, frustrated, and on the verge of dropping out become “turned on” and motivated to succeed through their involvement with REAL. Many young people gain a great deal of self-confidence and self-esteem through their REAL accomplishments.

Many students either need, or want, to earn money while they’re still in school. However, there usually is little connection between their schoolwork and their after-school employment. In fact, many teenagers find that what they do on the job gets in the way of what they should be learning in order to succeed at school. By contrast, REAL students develop a wide range of essential thinking, communication and technical skills, while still earning some income once their businesses are up and running. These skills help students at school, as well as in their own enterprises. Being a REAL student can teach students how to effectively manage time and money -- and help them open new doors that lead toward a brighter future.

It’s true that success in the REAL program does require a significant commitment of time and energy. REAL students, like those who play varsity sports, perform in a musical group or engage in other extra-curricular activities, must learn how to juggle all their responsibilities well. However, much of what is learned through the REAL program - from research techniques to planning sills - will assist students in their other courses.

REAL’s experience with participants “going on to college” has been a fascinating surprise. Many people suspected that the lure of being their own bosses and making some money would cause REAL students to abandon any college plans. Instead, just the opposite has occurred. Some students who were considered “at risk” to finish high school have become inspired by what they learned about the world, and about themselves, through their REAL experiences -- and have ended up going to college. Running a business full-time right after high school is not the only legitimate definition of success within the REAL program. Students who have learned from their REAL experience that attending college is the right next step for them are also considered REAL success stories. The entrepreneurial seed planted in students during the REAL program can bloom in a variety of ways and at many different points in a person’s life.

The answer for most teenagers is YES! However, the REAL program is not designed for, or open to, most teenagers. Instead, this opportunity is reserved for those young people who have exhibited the potential to benefit from what REAL has to offer, and who are likely to succeed. That is why REAL has an application and screening process for students. Participants don’t have to be straight “A” students. Instead, REAL teachers place an emphasis on selecting students who genuinely want to undertake the REAL challenge and who have shown themselves to be doers.

Of course, REAL students are not expected to “sink or swim” entirely on their own. REAL teachers assist participants on a daily basis. Teachers, in turn, are supported by the REAL Enterprises program consultants and by a community support team bade up of local businesspeople, professionals and other leaders. Thus far, many students have risen to the occasion and performed exceptionally well. The entrepreneurial training and work experience, as well as the chance to do something meaningful in the real world, often bring out unexpected levels of maturity and responsibility among participants. Again, it’s worth remembering that running a business full-time immediately after graduation is not required of REAL students. For some students, becoming business operators right away is perfectly appropriate. For others, it will be years before they are ready to take full advantage of the training and assistance they have been given through the REAL program.

NO! In the REAL program, participating students have access to business loans and other sources of start-up money for their enterprises. This does not mean that every business idea or student plan is guaranteed funding. Rather, it means that REAL Enterprises has funds set aside to help launch student-owned ventures that have demonstrated they are likely to succeed. To date, there never has been a worthy student business plan denied the capital it needed to get underway.

On the other hand, REAL Enterprises expects to have partners in financing the student ventures. Just like “regular” entrepreneurs, REAL students are required to invest not only their time and energy, but also some of their own money. Students can make a lump sum investment up front”, or work out another appropriate arrangement. The important principle here is that participants have to put something of their own “on the line”. Other potential partners from the community will also be encouraged to become involved in this aspect of the program. Parents, too, are welcome to become financial contributors to their students’ enterprises. However, this type of parental assistance is neither expected nor required.

Because every business and situation is different, there is no blanket answer to this question. Generally speaking, parents are not financially at risk should their teenagers’ venture go out of business (unless, of course, they have chosen to invest their own money, or to co-sign student loans). Students, too, have more protection by being in the REAL program than do “regular” entrepreneurs. However, they are at risk of losing at least their own personal investment. The financial consequences of going out of business should be carefully examined as part of the student’s original business plan. This will help everyone involved understand any risks before the venture is launched.

There are some circumstances, however, in which parents may bear a measure of legal responsibility. Theft of money or property by a minor is one example of such a circumstance. In practice, however, no parents of REAL students have lost a penny thus far because of the closing of a REAL student-operated business.

This is just fine - under certain conditions. The essential question considered by the REAL teacher and REAL staff is: to what extent does the student have the responsibility and authority associated with ownership? Often, the best arrangement is one in which the student has the main responsibility for creating a new component of an existing family business. For example, a student who wants to create a fish farm as a new part of the family’s farming business certainly would be eligible for the REAL program. Similarly, there should be no problem with a student who will be in charge of setting up and operating a new branch of a family-owned store. And finally, a student who is being “groomed” to eventually take over the family business is welcome to participate.

As an IRS-approved educational organization, REAL does not make a profit either on the student businesses it helps to create or on the assistance it provides to local sites. Any money earned by, or donated to, REAL goes to improve the program, enlarge the loan fund and expand to new school sites. Staff salaries and operating expenses are paid from membership fees, private grants and public allocations. The staff and board members of REAL Enterprises are committed to rural school and community improvement, and enjoy contributing to the future of our nation’s rural youth.

What REAL teachers and staff would like is for parents to be genuine partners in helping students explore the world of entrepreneurship. Parents with special skills or knowledge related to REAL’s work are warmly welcomed to share them with the participants. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about the REAL program, please bring them to the attention of the REAL teachers and staff members. And, of course, if you have any comments about your own teenager’s experience with REAL, please don’t hesitate to tell us.

What REAL students need most from their parents is consistent encouragement, a positive attitude and emotional support. They need to know that you believe in them, that you have faith in their ability to become successful REAL students, and that you value all the hard work they will undertake as participants in this program. Learning to be an entrepreneur can be frustrating, and even frightening, at times. Knowing that you are in their corner can make all the difference in the world.