Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE-On Wednesday, April 22, UW-Extension will facilitate a poverty simulation on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus, an event designed to sensitize participants to the lifestyles of typical low-income families. This simulation is a response to the thousands of families living in poverty in the United States, and UW-Extension educators have facilitated well over 100 poverty awareness programs in different counties to increase awareness of the impoverished and homeless.

The simulation will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. in the University North and South Rooms of the Pioneer Student Center on the UWP campus. Participants will be divided into small groups and will assume the roles of low-income families and then must deal with various situations these families would encounter. Assorted tables will be set up to represent the community resources and services available to families, such as a church food pantry, a grocery store and a human services office. Each family will be given a certain amount of money, relative to their respective situation, and must attempt to survive through a condensed month, or four-15 minute weeks, by using the different mock agencies available to them. A debriefing by the UW-Extension staff will follow, and participants and volunteer staffers will be able to share their experiences, reactions and feelings about the event.

This is the second year that the poverty simulation will take place on the UWP campus. Valerie Gill-Mast, UWP lecturer for the psychology department, requested the event last year because she wanted students taking a social work class to have a better understanding of people living in poverty.

"It's very difficult to just talk about the impact of poverty, so I require my students to attend this event," said Gill-Mast.

Gill-Mast has a long background in social work. She earned her master's degree in social work from Indiana University and has worked extensively with the poor population. She believes this simulation exposes students to a different mindset, an experience they wouldn't be able to get from the classroom.

"I wanted to try to get students to be familiar with the needs of impoverished people so they would better understand the behaviors and mindsets of poor people, therefore changing their attitudes and opinions towards people living in poverty," said Gill-Mast.

This is only the second year that the event has been opened up to students. Before last year, typical participants were people working with the low-income population, and even included educators, school administers and business owners.

"It's a very adult-oriented program," said Ione Meoska, nutrition education program coordinator at UW-Extension. "We hope that college-aged students will develop a better understanding of what low-income people go through and the stresses that they face. I have had teachers comment that after participating in the simulation, they understood how difficult it was for low-income families to buy school supplies for their children and have resolved to be more sensitive to this problem."

Participants will also have a chance to learn from the volunteers recruited to staff the resource tables. Staffers are typically volunteers or staff from agencies and organizations that serve low-income people, but some have experienced or are experiencing poverty. Other volunteers are recruited to take on roles of police officers, utility and rent collectors, and illegal activities persons. Molly Thelemann, from the university police, has volunteered to serve as the law enforcement officer, a position she held last year.

Gill-Mast has good expectations for this event in the future.

"Last year's simulation was well received by the students and had a large impact on their perspectives," said Gill-Mast. "I appreciate all that UW-Extension does to bring the eye-opening program to the UWP campus."

This is a free event open to all UWP students. A total of 75 students will be allowed to participate. To sign up, contact Gill-Mast at (608) 324-1723 or gillmastv@uwplatt.edu, or Meoska at (608) 723-2125 or ione.meoska@ces.uwex.edu.

Contact: Valerie Gill-Mast, UWP lecturer of psychology, (608) 324-1723, gillmastv@uwplatt.edu; Ione Meoska, coordinator, Nutrition Education Program, UW-Extension, (608) 723-2125, ione.meoska@ces.uwex.edu. Written by: Morgan Spitzer, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, spitzerm@uwplatt.edu