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Jan. 10, 2007
Morningside College invites the public to walk a mile in the shoes of someone living in poverty when it hosts its third annual poverty simulation on Tuesday, Jan. 23, commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Yockey Family Community Room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Avenue.
The free event is sponsored by Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS) and the Morningside Civic Union. The public is invited to participate.
Renee Sweers, family nutrition and health field specialist from the Iowa State University Extension office will conduct the event with assistance from Morningside College students. The simulation is being coordinated on the Morningside campus by Joe Maffit and Lacey Bensink, Americorp*VISTA Service-Learning Coordinators at Morningside.
Poverty simulations are designed to increase public awareness about issues related to poverty and to promote experiential learning. During the simulation, several Morningside College students, faculty, and staff participants will role-play the lives of low-income families, from single parents trying to care for their children to senior citizens trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on Social Security. The task of each family is to provide food, shelter, and other necessities while interacting with various community resources staffed by volunteers. After the simulation, participants and staffers will discuss their experiences.
The ROWEL Poverty Simulation was created in 1980 by the Reform Organization of Welfare (ROWEL) Education Association of Missouri and is now identified as the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS). The educational program is made available to Iowans through the Iowa State University Extension office.
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