The Poverty Simulation is a unique training for attorneys, staff, service providers, students and others who are interested in learning about the challenges and situations that low-income people deal with day to day. It offers the chance to understand how to work more effectively with members of this community, and to consider critically the ways in which we deliver services.
This role play simulates one-month in the life in a low-income community, with each "week" consuming a 15-20 minute period. Participants are divided into “families,†ranging in size from one to five persons. Each group is assigned a different life scenario, and volunteers live the life of that family for one month, trying to work and access benefits, buy food, and maintain housing. The training also uses participants or volunteers to play the vital roles of community resources, such as the bank, the employer, the doctor and other resources the family members will interact with during the “month.â€
The simulation is very detailed and has an impact on participants that cannot be conveyed by books. It strives to educate pro bono attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants and law students about the realities our low-income clients face day to day, and the impact pro bono services have on these individuals and families.
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