Students learn from classroom ShopRite

WARMINSTER, Pa. (WPVI) -- A group of high school students are getting a taste of the real working world as their classroom has been turned into a business for them to open up and run.

Students at William Tennent High in Warminster, Bucks County can stay on campus and do a little grocery shopping if they like.

On Monday, the school launched a mini ShopRite as a working career-lab for students.

It's all part of a program designed to prepare the teens for the real world through life skills they gain by working in the store and learning what it takes to operate a business.

The program is a partnership between the school and the Wakefern-ShopRite Corporation.

The students learn hands-on about accounting, marketing and planning.

"It is definitely life skills. I have never realized how hard it is to open a store until I started here. It is great experience," student Sarah Vickalitis said.

"Our goal is for all of our students to be college and career ready when they leave William Tennent High School, which means something different for every kid," Principal Dennis Best said.

The program started in 1988 and is now in 16 different schools throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

So far ShopRite in schools has helped prepare 3,000 students.