Tomorrow (Oct. 28) from 1-4 p.m., the Yakima Valley Interprofessional Practice & Education Collaborative (YVIPEC) will host a Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) in PNWU’s University Conference Center building. The activity offers health sciences students from PNWU, WSU, CWU, and Heritage University a chance to role-play the lives of low-income families.
“This learning tool was created to help people understand the realities of poverty,” explained Jennifer Garehime, YVIPEC program manager. During the simulation, participants will be faced with the challenge of providing basic necessities and shelter on a limited budget during the course of four 15-minute ‘weeks.’ During this time, students will interact with several community volunteers representing human service agencies, grocers, pawnbrokers, bill collectors, and others.
“The simulation enables participants to look at poverty from various angles and then recognize and discuss the potential for change within their local communities,” explained Garehime. “It was designed to sensitize those who frequently deal with low-income families and create a broader awareness of the realities of poverty among community leaders and others.” The activity will be the first in-person IPE activity the YVIPEC has hosted since 2019.
For questions about the event, please contact ipe@pnwu.edu.