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Step into the Reality of Poverty - Register for Upcoming Experiences |
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A poverty simulation is TCHP’s most in-depth, immersive learning experience, designed to help participants understand the realities of living with limited financial resources. Participants take on the roles of families with children navigating poverty, while volunteers represent community systems such as social services, grocery stores, and employers. Over a series of “weeks,” families make critical decisions and respond to real-time challenges, highlighting the stress and systemic barriers they face. The experience concludes with a guided debrief to reflect on insights and identify more effective ways to support those experiencing economic hardship, made possible through a partnership with the Thumb Opioid Response Consortium. |
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| Volunteer A volunteer in the poverty simulation plays a supporting role by helping to run and maintain the experience. They act as various systems or service providers, such as an employer, bank, school, DHHS office, or landlord, and interact with participants based on established rules and policies. Volunteers ensure the simulation runs smoothly and remains realistic by consistently representing how real-world systems operate. Their goal is to accurately simulate the structures, expectations, and constraints that individuals experiencing poverty must navigate. |
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| Participant A participant in the poverty simulation plays an active role by stepping into the life of a person or family experiencing poverty. They are responsible for making decisions about everyday needs such as housing, food, work, and transportation while navigating the challenges that come with limited resources. Throughout the experience, participants face real-world stress, trade-offs, and barriers, allowing them to better understand the complexities of poverty. The overall goal for participants is to learn through lived experience and gain a meaningful shift in perspective. |
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A Bridges Out of Poverty training is an interactive workshop designed to help participants better understand the realities of living in poverty and how it impacts decision-making, behavior, and access to resources. Through a mix of discussion, activities, and often simulations, attendees explore concepts like the hidden rules of economic class, common barriers faced by individuals and families, and the role systems play in either supporting or hindering success. The training emphasizes building empathy, shifting perspectives, and equipping professionals and community members with practical strategies to more effectively serve and support those experiencing economic hardship.
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Impact Lab - Barriers in Real Time |
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An Impact Lab: Barriers in Real Time exercise is a condensed, hands-on session where participants actively work through the challenges individuals and families face when navigating real-world systems. In a shorter, more focused format than full poverty simulations or Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, participants are presented with realistic scenarios and must respond to barriers as they arise, highlighting gaps in services, communication, and processes. The exercise emphasizes quick thinking, collaboration, and practical problem-solving, helping participants better understand how systems function in real time and identify opportunities for more effective, responsive support.
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See a list of our upcoming Poverty Simulations, BOP's, and Impact Labs |
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