KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One glimmer of hope in the current economy is the added emphasis being given to helping today's children make smart decisions tomorrow.

A school trip to Exchange City in Kansas City is no typical field trip.

Students were put to work in different careers that help a city run, learning life lessons that could pay off in the future, teachers said.

"I think so they understand you don't spend money you don't have, then you don't get into the mess that people are in nowadays," said Rushton Elementary School teacher Emily Weems.

Besides spending their money on things like jewelry or food, the students learn about investing. They sit down with an adviser and learn how they can double their money or lose it all -- they're taught that's the risk of investment.

While many Americans are relying on stimulus money to bail them out, the kids at Exchange City know what happens if they don't keep their town running.

"We will go out of business, and it will be all down hill," said student Joey Blair.