The Ohio Christian University’s Intercultural Department was pleased to have VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America) facilitate The Poverty Simulation on last month. The Poverty Simulation is intended to be an “immersive experience that helps participants increase their knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of poverty.”
According to their website, “The Poverty Simulation is a unique, enlightening experience that helps individuals begin to understand what life is like with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress. It moves people to think about the harsh realities of poverty and to talk about how communities can address the problem collectively.”
Participants were given an alter-ego, complete with a full bio and demographics. They were then told to act accordingly, and attempt to make their limited funding stretch throughout the entire simulation. One student commented on the challenges, saying, “I’ve never thought about poverty like this before. I didn’t realize life could be so hard!” Participants were faced with difficult real-world situations, such as choosing between feeding their family and paying their rent.
VISTA was founded in 1965 as a national service program to fight poverty in America. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs.
http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-vista
