On March 21, from 2-5 p.m., the School of Social Work hosted a Poverty Simulation in the Carl Grant Event Center.
The Poverty Simulation is an event that works to increase empathy and awareness of poverty in society. Each participant is assigned a role within a family and is given 15 minutes to accomplish what that real person would have to do in a week. These tasks include grocery shopping, going to work, getting welfare, going to school, and much more.
“It was way different than I expected,” Eve Tayloe, senior special education major said. “It was such a great way to learn because it was so kinesthetic. Like, you were up, you were moving, you were having to think, you were having to budget and plan, not get evicted, and have food on the table and have clothes on your back and take your kids to school. It made me think of aspects of life I haven’t even had to think about.”
There were four 15-minute sessions so that the participants could have a taste of what a month in poverty looks like.
“We wanted to create a space where people could come and gain greater empathy and awareness surrounding what is poverty, what are the realities of poverty, so that as we encounter people, we’re doing so in a way that sees them as a person of worth and dignity that has had a lot of obstacles and challenges relative to economic insecurities,” Rebecca Bohner, director for bachelor of social work programs, field director for Jackson and associate professor of social work said.
The facilitator also gave space at the end of the simulation for the participants to ask questions and reflect on their experiences.
“Through that experience, there’s obviously this thought of what can I do next?” Bohner said. “This is obviously a huge need in our community and in the United States and the world: what can we do with the gifts and resources that we’ve been given? And so that’s where we also create space, where the social work seniors talk about the agency they’re completing their field placement with and noted here, are ways in which these agencies are meeting the needs.”
Along with all Union students and faculty, members of the community were also invited to participate. The School of Social Work plans on making this simulation an annual event.
