Poverty Simulation

The Rome Teacher Center has a Poverty Simulation Kit and Jessica is trained to run Poverty Simulations for school staff. Jessica would be happy to schedule a simulation for an afternoon or morning session. This could be done on a Superintendent’s Conference Day or a Professional Learning Day. A large school would need to run alone, but smaller schools could do it together.  We would follow up the Simulation with a whole group or small group activities based on the needs of your school.  Please email Jessica if you are interested.

Why a Simulation?

Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. But unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) bridges that gap from misconception to understanding. CAPS is an interactive immersion experience. It sensitizes community participants to the realities of poverty. CAPS is not a game. It is based on real Community Action clients and their lives. CAPS exists to: Promote Poverty Awareness. During the simulation, role-play a month in poverty and experience low-income families' lives. Increase Understanding. After the simulation, you will unpack your learning and brainstorm community change. Inspire Local Change. Together, you can be a voice to end poverty in your family, friends, and community. Transform Perspectives. The goal of CAPS is to shift the paradigm about poverty away from being seen as a personal failure and toward the understanding of poverty as structural, a failure of society. What Happens During a Simulation? Meet Ann Aber. Like many people in poverty, Ann faces the daily struggle to keep a roof over her head and her children fed. Ann is just one person in the up to 26 families part of the Poverty Simulation. During the Poverty Simulation, you will take on the identity of someone like Ann. You will work together with your family to live a month in poverty. Your Simulated “community” is a large room. You and your neighbors’ “homes” are chairs in the center. The services you need like banks, schools, and grocery stores are tables that line the perimeter of the room. The room that your simulation is set up in represents your community. Chairs in the center of the room and tables along the wall represent family homes, community services, and businesses, respectively. Like in real life, you need transportation to work or school. You need food on the table. You might struggle with a chronic illness. Throughout the month you will face the daily stresses and challenges a person in poverty faces. Again, this simulation is not a game. It is based on the stories of real-life Community Action clients.