Community Action Poverty Simulation

Hosted by the UTC School of Nursing CANDL Grant Team

For more information or registration, please visit www.utc.edu/povertysimulation

Could you survive a month living in poverty?

Poverty Simulation: Deepen your understanding of what it means to live in poverty 

“It’s a simulation, not a game.”

The Community Action Poverty Simulation is an interactive immersion experience for students. This simulation sensitizes participants to the realities of poverty. The main objectives are to promote poverty awareness through role-play by living a simulated month in poverty or with low income. Debriefing post-simulation will increase understanding and hopefully inspire local change in students’ perspectives and bias towards poverty.

There are several ways to be a part of this simulation:

1. A participant as a simulated family member.

2. A volunteer as a community resource partner.

3. Or you may become a trained facilitator, where you will participate as a family member and then attend facilitator training the following day.

This first simulation is a pilot. The goal is to have a sustainable inter-professional approach each Fall semester. During the summer pilot, our goal is to have as many students and faculty/staff as possible participate and interested faculty/staff/students become trained as facilitators. We will also have an ongoing need for volunteers. If you plan to become a trained facilitator, you will attend 2 days. To become a trained facilitator, it is recommended to be a participant in the poverty simulation not a volunteer. The agenda will vary depending on the role. Please see individual roles for the specific agenda.

For more information, please visit our website, attached information, or contact the Poverty Simulation Coordinators:

Pamela Camp, MSN, FNP-C                 Office 423-425-4050   pamela-camp@utc.edu

Mary Jo Blanton, MSN, FNP-BC          Office 423-425-4657   mary-blanton@utc.edu