HOUSTON -- A workshop is helping students plan for the rest of their lives by giving them a taste of the real world, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported Friday.

The message in the classroom is "dream big," and children are taught to have a plan.

"If you want to make your business or you want to pursue a career, you've got to follow some goals and set them up," said Steven Cortez, a 10th-grade student.

More than 60 high school students from across Houston are taking part in a three-week summer program called Real Life. They're learning life skills such as how to pay for college.

"I want to be a pediatrician. (Since it's) four years and more time after that, I have to start looking for scholarships and loans," said Mirna Cardenas, a 10th-grade student.

The students also learned how to chase a career and navigate the Internet to price their first home.

A personality questionnaire helped a 10th-grade student learn that she could become a great psychologist.

"It's interesting. There's stuff other than medicine and law I'd be great at," said Chiara Rivera.

"If we can broaden their horizons, broaden what they can dream they can be, develop the skills so they can become what they dream to be, they truly will break the cycle of poverty," said Ken Decker, the vice president of Skills For Living.

The goal is to give the students the financial know-how to tackle life in the real world.

The program is taught by volunteers and is free to students.

For more information, visit www.skills4living.org.