Just Harvest will be facilitating a poverty simulation to help Duquesne University students better understand some of the obstacles that come with living in poverty.
20 volunteers are needed to run each poverty simulation. Volunteers are each given a unique role – teacher, grocery store cashier, caseworker, employer – and given instructions about how to interact with participants. Each volunteer will be given their packet upon arrival and we will do the training on-site before the simulation begins.
The Community Action Poverty Simulation is a unique and powerful tool that deepens understanding of poverty. Developed by the Missouri Association for Community Action, participants role-play a member of a low-income household and discover the difficulty and stresses of trying to meet a family’s basic needs when expenses are more than income. You can learn more about our poverty simulations by reading this FAQ.
Volunteer check-in and training begins at 5:15pm, 45 minutes before the simulation begins. The simulation will run for an hour and will be followed up with a debriefing session. The simulation is broken up into four 15-minute “weeks”. During the week, participants will have to take their kids to school, go to work, pay their bills, and buy food. They may need to apply for public benefits, sell items, or seek assistance from other agencies. They may decide to commit crime or to work together with their neighbors. During the debriefing you will have the opportunity to comment on your experiences during the simulation.