Simulation awakens participants to realities of low-income life
Published 01.18.2024
Photos by Conor P. Fry, student photographer
Penn College's participation in "Dream Week," the annual celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., included a poverty simulation – a role-playing exercise centered around households where those aspirations are deferred.
The program, co-sponsored in the campus Field House by the college and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, assigned participants to families that were tasked with the monthlong experience of living in poverty.
Members visited a number of different stations, making choices based on those interactions. The simulation was followed by dinner and a debriefing discussion.
The event was just one of the commemorative activities organized by a broad-based coalition of community partners. The week, the theme of which was "It Starts With Me," also offered a variety of service opportunities, children's storytime at the James V. Brown Library, a STEP/AmeriCorps Peace Walk through downtown Williamsport, and a food-prep service project.
Upcoming tie-ins include The Service Walk, starting at the Bush Campus Center at 1 p.m. Jan. 20, and kicking off the semester's "(community) Service Saturdays," and “Keep Marching – The Road to the March on Washington,” a one-act play scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Community Arts Center.
