The Poverty Spiral: A Tool to Help Mentors Understand the Challenges of Poverty

Transcription

1 The Poverty Spiral: A Tool to Help Mentors Understand the Challenges of Poverty

2 The Purpose of the Poverty Spiral The purpose of this simulation is to introduce participants to the experience of making decisions under the stresses of limited resources and competing priorities. Participants will experience how making the best decision to reach Stability in The Poverty Spiral isn t always the decision that would be made when the stresses are fewer and the resources more abundant. All the situations in the simulation are actual dilemmas that real people have faced.

3 The Goal The goal of simulation is to reach and maintain STABILITY within the time allotment given. PARTICIPANTS 4-6 SIMULATION MATERIALS 6 Tokens 6 Profile Cards Star Cards Choice Chits 1 Large Dice Loaded with higher numbers 1 Small Dice Loaded with smaller numbers Situation Cards Situation Cards detail a real-life situation and two choices. Not all participants make choices in each Situation. For instance, if a participant s character has no dependent children in the home, they will have immunity in Situations where children are involved.

4 Character Profiles

5 Character Profiles All participants choose a colored token. Distribute Character Profiles, Star Cards, and Choice Chits based on the color chosen by each participant. Character Profiles describe each participant s character in The Poverty Spiral. The Character Profile determines whether each character will participate in making decisions during each turn. Character Profiles help participants understand their motivation in making choices throughout the simulation. Star Cards explain each character s assets. Star Cards correspond to Star Spaces on The Poverty Spiral board. Star Cards help each participant move toward the goal of Stability.

6 The Game Board SITUATION CARDS THE POVERTY SPIRAL STABILITY

7 To Start Before beginning play, participants should familiarize themselves with their character profile and their assets as outlined in the Star Cards. Participants introduce themselves one at a time by reading aloud their Character Profile description. Do not read aloud your Star Cards during the introduction. Participants place their token on the corresponding colored space on The Poverty Spiral board. These are each participant s START space. The first turn is taken by the participant with the RED token. If no one has chosen the RED token, ORANGE begins first. Turns continue with the person seated to their right.

8 Situation Cards

9 Simulation Procedures On each turn, the active participant (the participant whose turn it is) chooses a Situation Card. The active participant reads the card starting with the BOLD writing across the top of the card. Not all participants engage in each situation. The active participant reads aloud the Situation and Choice One and Choice Two. The active participant STOPS reading at this point. Participants must decide upon one of the two choices provided and must place either Choice Chit 1 or Choice Chit 2 face down in front of them.

10 Social Impact Included in the Situation Cards are Social Impact Situations. Social Impact Situations do not require a choice and affect all participants in the simulation. Social Impact outcomes affect all participants differently dependent upon their position on the board or their Character Profile.

11 Third Choice Privilege The participant whose turn it is (the Reader of the Situation Card) MAY make a different choice other than the two that are given on the Situation Cards. They may choose to make a THIRD CHOICE if they think they have a better choice of their own design. They may exercise the THIRD CHOICE PRIVILEGE ONLY WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN. They must explain their THIRD CHOICE to the other participants prior to reading the RESULTS of the CHOICES. This THIRD CHOICE PRIVILEGE ONLY affects their movement on the game board. The Result of the Third Choice Privilege is determined by the other participants. Participants will vote one of two ways by majority rules: Move OUT of the Poverty Spiral by 2 spaces. Move INTO the Poverty Spiral by 2 spaces. Using the THIRD CHOICE Privilege is a RISK. Use it strategically.

12 The Dice

13 RESULTS Participants reveal their choices to one another by turning over their Choice Chit. The RESULT of each choice is then read aloud. Based on their CHOICE CHIT, each participant is instructed to move their token INTO or OUT OF The Poverty Spiral, or to stay where they are. Some results require participants to toss the BIG or LITTLE die to determine the number of spaces moved. Each participant rolls the die to determine their own result in these cases. If the player with The Third Choice Privilege exercises their privilege, that player will move their token according to the majority vote of all other participants.

14 STAR SPACES If a participants lands on a STAR SPACE at any time during the simulation, they may use any one of their Star Cards. Star Cards always move a participant OUT of the Spiral towards the goal of Stability. Star Cards are unique to each Character. Star Cards must be read aloud when redeemed. Once a Star Card is redeemed, it may not be used again. All Characters are allotted a different number of Star Cards. Therefore, some participants may run out of Star Cards before the simulation ends.

15 For Questions, suggestions or more information contact: Dana Gold x12