The Lewis J. Burger Center for Leadership and Service is partnering with Heart of Illinois United Way to sponsor a poverty simulation on Oct. 19.
Ben Wright, assistant director of leadership and service, participated in a poverty simulation at Dream Center Peoria. He said that he realized it would be a great event to bring to the Bradley campus because the university has students that identify in poverty.
“There were some people in the group I was in that thought poverty was a choice,” Wright said. “By going to the simulation [they] realized we have systemic issues in our society, and the functionality of our society is not inclusive enough to fully incorporate individuals who identify in poverty.”
This poverty simulation is a way for participants to experience firsthand what it is like to live as a low-income individual and family.
“The object is to sensitize participants to the realities faced by low-income people,” the vice president of resource development and Heart of Illinois United Way, Stephen Peterson said. “We emphasize that the simulation is not a game. “We want participants to navigate the month in the life of their assigned role to the best of his or her ability.”
The simulation is meant to be a learning experience for those participating.
“I would love for students to just learn about … poverty, but also the daily struggle and that’s what happens in the simulation,” Wright said.
The poverty simulation will demonstrate a four-week period in 15-minute increments. Participants will be given different objectives to do within each week. They will have to visit different stations, find housing and use food stamps.
The participants act homeless, as a single parent or without a job. The simulation is a way to demonstrate how difficult it is to get around and identify the flaws in the system. The simulation is relevant to the Peoria community as 1 in 5 people under the age of 18 live in poverty.
“It’s supposed to be an eye-opening, challenging experience,” Wright said. “My other hope out of it is that students find passion and find community through it because no one person is going to be able to solve poverty.”
After the simulation, there will be a debrief and reflection with guided questions and a discussion about next steps moving forward. Participants will discuss what they can do next and what they should be held accountable for.
“Our primary objective and focus on success is to bring more awareness and greater understanding of the issues faced by those living in poverty and how organizations and individuals can help be a part of the solution,” Peterson said.
According to Wright, the university is trying to partner with the community to work toward solving social issues.
“My hope from [the simulation] is that people find passion and understand that … we do have students that have hardship finding access to food, paying bills, paying tuition,” Wright said.
Wright said that poverty is a global issue and he is excited to see what people want to do after participating in the simulation.
“We, ourselves, sometimes get stuck in this ‘Bradley bubble,’” Wright said. “Not realizing what is down the street or people’s perceptions on what is ‘down the hill.’”
Students, staff, faculty and OLLI members are signed up to participate in the simulation. About 60 participants are signed up for the event.
Those interested can register at https://volunteer.bradley.edu/ poverty-simulation/ and Wright said that walk-ins can also participate.
