Description

Sponsored by Jackson EMC and MedLink Georgia, the Madison County Area Non-Profit Roundtable is teaming up with MART and UGA Extension to provide a valuable learning opportunity for community and business leaders- a poverty simulation. 

Purpose of the Poverty Simulation: 

The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) is a unique tool that can be used to educate everyone, from policy makers to local community leaders, about the typical day to day strategies of a low-income family trying to survive, day to day, with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress. It is a simulation, not a game. The object is to sensitize participants to the hardships faced by real people. In post-experience surveys, over 85% of participants reported an above average or high level of increased knowledge about the financial pressures faced by low-income families in meeting basic needs. 

The experience lasts approximately three hours. It includes an introduction and briefing, the actual simulation exercise, and a debriefing period at the end of the simulation, in which participants share their feelings and experiences and talk about what they have learned about the lives of people in poverty. 

The simulation must be conducted in a large room where participants will be assigned a "family" to join in the center. Around the perimeter are tables representing community resources and services for the families. These services include a bank, super center, Community Action Agency, employer, utility company, pawn broker, grocery, school, and more. Participants assume the roles of different families facing poverty. Some families are newly unemployed, some are recently deserted by the "breadwinner," some are homeless, while still others are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The task of the participant "families" is to provide for basic necessities, shelter, transportation and education during the course of four 15-minute "weeks." 

Who should register as a participant? 

The target participant audience includes professionals who serve individuals in poverty but who likely aren’t specifically trained on how to help those in poverty navigate the challenges they face (business & community leaders, local board members, etc.). 

Why should you register as a participant? 

Participants will develop self-awareness around thoughts and attitudes toward people in poverty. Participants will identify social and cultural differences between self and people in poverty. Participants will identify practice implications for working with individuals and families in poverty.