OU-Tulsa Social Work Program Hosts Poverty Simulation
Living in poverty is stressful. This was one of the lessons learned by Tulsa Public Schools students who participated in a “poverty simulation” hosted by the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work on the OU-Tulsa campus.
The participatory learning experience was held earlier this month in Founders Hall.
Students were assigned into “families” of one to five people, given a detailed scenario for their family, then asked to accomplish tasks such as working a job, paying bills, attending school and more, all while navigating specific poverty-related challenges.
At the end of the event, a group debrief was held to discuss lessons learned and ways that systems might be adjusted to assist families experiencing these issues.
“The goal of the poverty simulation is to demonstrate how systems currently in place can actively work against families experiencing poverty,” said Nic Dubriwny, OU-Tulsa social work faculty member and coordinator of the undergraduate social work program in Tulsa. “We want these students to understand how, down the road, they can make a difference in their communities in changing some of these realities.”
Students were offered the simulation through their participation in Tulsa Community College’s City Lab program, a summer job opportunity for ninth and 10th grade students. Through City Lab, students gain work experience and skills, develop leadership and social skills, learn about STEM career opportunities, and impact their community by identifying and proposing solutions to societal problems.
The program is a partnership between Tulsa Community College and Tulsa Public Schools.
OU-Tulsa offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs in social work. Click here to learn more.
To view media coverage of the poverty simulation, see the links below.
By Bonnie Rucker
