Anika Markle In Louisville, Kentucky, Fern Creek High School seniors are gaining essential life skills through a unique three-day course called “Adulting 101.” Designed to prepare students for life after graduation, the program covers practical skills often overlooked in traditional classrooms.
Learning Life Skills Step by Step
Spearheaded by College Access Resource teacher Sara Wilson-Abell, “Adulting 101” breaks life lessons into three themed days.
- Day 1 focused on managing finances.
- Day 2 covered home and health essentials, including car maintenance and laundry.
- Day 3 is dedicated to professionalism, helping students transition into the workforce or higher education.
“Yesterday was all about money, today it’s home and health, and tomorrow it’s about being a professional,” Wilson-Abell explained.
From Car Maintenance to Laundry Basics
On the second day, seniors like Lilly Farmer learned practical tasks such as checking car oil and changing a tire. “I know I have a spare tire in my car, but I wouldn’t have known what to do with it,” Farmer admitted.
The program also tackled home essentials, teaching students how to sort laundry, hang pictures, and cook basic meals using a microwave. Farmer added, “I learned a lot about laundry. I kind of knew some aspects of it, but I never sorted clothes before.”
Real-World Inspiration and Fun Challenges
The course was inspired by students’ questions about life skills. “The term ‘adulting’ has been a big thing lately, so I kind of just took that idea and ran with it,” said Wilson-Abell.
Fern Creek alumnus and “MasterChef” champion Gerron Hurt joined the program to inspire students. He led the Dorm Room Microwave Challenge, where teams created meals using dorm staples like noodles and pizza rolls.
A Lesson in Preparedness
Farmer defended her generation against criticism for lacking basic skills. “People say, ‘They should know how to change a tire or do laundry,’ but in reality, we’ve never been taught. So we don’t know how to do any of it,” she explained.
Thanks to its success, Wilson-Abell plans to continue “Adulting 101” next year, ensuring more students leave high school feeling prepared for the real world.
Source: WLKY