Poverty simulation opens the eyes of Chinook’s Edge educators
Staff from Deer Meadow and École Olds High School travelled to Holy Trinity School in Olds to participate in a poverty simulation exercise on Oct. 25.
Heather Dixon, a representative with Olds Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), who helped sponsor the event, explained that the simulation gives participants an idea of what life is like for “at the bottom rung of the economic ladder.”
During the two-hour exercise, attendees are broken into families whose goal is to do their best to make ends meet week-to-week over a simulated one-month time period. Through the simulation, they are faced with real-life challenges and scenarios faced by those living in poverty. The day then wraps up with a one-hour discussion and reflection.
Dixon said this method offered a chance to experience these realities first hand and widen perspectives. “For example, people might have to make choices between purchasing food and paying for electricity. The families who face this choice regularly are brought to light, fostering empathy and understanding,” she said.