About 65 staff at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School in Red Deer learned more about the impacts of poverty on education during a poverty simulation May 17.

By rdnewsNOW staff

St. Francis of Assisi Middle School

School staff shown poverty’s impact on education

May 21, 2019 | 2:39 PM

Approximately 65 staff members at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School in Red Deer have been given a better understanding of the realities of poverty.

During a professional development day on May 17, staff immersed themselves in a poverty simulation created by Missouri Community Action Group.

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) officials say St. Francis is the first school in the division to take part in the half-day activity.

The session, led by Jackie Tomalty, school health facilitator from Alberta Health Services, encouraged staff to discover what it’s like to not have enough income to meet basic needs.

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Representatives from the United Way of Central Alberta also joined the simulation, as did the division’s Family School Enhancement Counsellors (FSECs), two trustees, and RCMP Resource Officer, Constable Derek Turner.

Officials say the purpose of the activity is to increase awareness of the impact of poverty in their educational communities, as poverty is a reality for many students and families. It is also felt that unless one has experienced poverty, it can be difficult to truly understand how it can impede learning.

District officials say a poverty simulation is a unique and powerful experience which challenges perceptions, changes perspectives and strengthens understanding and empathy.

During the event, participants experienced a month of living in poverty, based on the lives of real families in Central Alberta. Volunteers populated the simulation as business owners, teachers, police officers, agency workers, service providers and government employees, allowing the participants to experience a full range of encounters, obstacles and challenges. Constable Turner took the role of a pawn shop owner.

“The poverty simulation places the participant directly into the challenges faced by those in our society who are less fortunate,” says Dave Khatib, associate superintendent of inclusive learning, in a press release. “I was impressed by how quickly I became immersed in the simulation and how real it became to me. I would encourage anyone who deals with families to experience this type of first-hand learning.

“I can honestly say that I have a new perspective on the effects that poverty has on our society,” adds Khatib.

In addition, officials say participants experienced a myriad of challenges including transportation issues, mortgage foreclosures, inability to provide healthy food for children, lack of money to pay bills, and lack of education to attain adequate employment.

The simulation is said to bridge the gap from misconception to understanding and sensitizes participants to the realities of poverty.

“The poverty simulation helped teachers and participants put into perspective the struggles that some of our students and families face on a daily basis,” adds Gary Gylander, principal at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School. “The hope is that teachers start to inherently recognize this and change the way they form relationships with their kids, knowing that some days, school is not the main priority. I would strongly recommend any school community to participate in this activity.”

(With files from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools)