UNI students learn about low-income families with poverty simulation – KCRG

Report on Poverty Simulation and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

On Sunday, education students at the University of Northern Iowa participated in an immersive poverty simulation designed to foster a deeper understanding of the financial hardships faced by low-income families. This experiential learning initiative directly addresses several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by preparing future educators to support students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Simulation Methodology

The simulation was structured to replicate the financial pressures of a single month for a low-income family. The process involved several key stages:

1. Participants were assigned roles within family units and provided with a limited budget.
2. The one-hour simulation was divided into four 15-minute “weeks.”
3. Throughout the simulation, participants were required to manage and pay for essential living expenses, including mortgage/rent, utilities, and groceries.
4. Participants had to navigate unexpected life events and make difficult financial decisions under time constraints.

Key Findings and Linkages to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The simulation produced outcomes that starkly illustrated the challenges of living in poverty, highlighting the interconnectedness of several SDGs.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Participants experienced the immense difficulty of stretching limited resources. One student, Madison Mendenhall, reported her family’s $210 in SNAP benefits covered food for only two weeks, demonstrating the reality of food insecurity and the constant financial pressure that defines life in poverty.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): A significant number of participants failed to pay their mortgage on time, resulting in eviction. The simulation’s homeless shelter quickly filled to capacity, forcing some participants to remain outside. This outcome underscores the critical challenge of housing instability and the lack of adequate, safe, and affordable housing for all.

Implications for Educational Practices

The primary objective of the simulation was to inform the professional development of future educators, aligning directly with goals for educational equity and social awareness.

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): As a future educator, Mendenhall concluded the experience would enable her to have more “grace and empathy” for students. Understanding that a student may arrive at school without adequate sleep or food is crucial for creating a supportive learning environment, which is a key target of providing inclusive and equitable quality education.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By experiencing these challenges firsthand, the education students are better prepared to recognize and address the systemic inequalities that impact their future students’ ability to learn. This awareness is fundamental to reducing inequalities within and outside the classroom. The simulation serves as a vital tool for building a more compassionate and effective educational workforce committed to social justice.

1. Identified Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The article on the poverty simulation for education students touches upon several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus is on poverty and its direct consequences, but it also extends to the quality of education and the stability of communities.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  This is the most central SDG addressed. The entire exercise is a “poverty simulation” designed to help students “understand the struggles some families face each month” by immersing them in the role of a “low income family.” The core theme is the financial hardship and difficult choices associated with living in poverty.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article connects poverty directly to food insecurity. Participants in the simulation had to budget for groceries and relied on social assistance like SNAP. The quote, “We got $210 in Snap… And that covered almost two full weeks of food,” highlights the struggle to secure enough food for a month. The future educator also notes the importance of understanding if students are “coming to school with… nothing to eat.”

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The context of the article is professional development for “education students.” The simulation’s purpose is to equip these “future educators” with empathy and understanding (“we need to have more grace and empathy”) for students experiencing poverty. This directly impacts the quality of the educational environment by making teachers more aware of the external barriers to learning that students may face, such as lack of sleep or food.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The issue of housing is a critical component of the simulation and a key aspect of sustainable communities. The article explicitly mentions the struggle to pay the mortgage, the fear of becoming homeless (“If we don’t pay our mortgage, we’re going to be homeless”), and the eventual outcome of eviction. The fact that the simulation’s “homeless shelter got so full” further emphasizes the challenge of providing adequate housing for all.

2. Specific SDG Targets

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 1.2: Reduce poverty in all its dimensions

   The simulation forces participants to confront the multiple dimensions of poverty simultaneously—not just a lack of income, but the struggle to afford housing, food, and utilities. The article demonstrates how these challenges are interconnected and compound one another.

2. Target 1.3: Implement social protection systems

   The article makes a direct reference to a social protection system with the mention of “Snap” (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The student notes that the $210 in SNAP benefits “helped a lot,” illustrating the role of such systems in mitigating poverty and hunger for low-income families.

3. Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to food

   The simulation’s challenge of making SNAP benefits last for a month and the future teacher’s concern about students arriving at school hungry directly relate to the goal of ensuring year-round access to sufficient food for all, especially for vulnerable populations like children in low-income families.

4. Target 11.1: Ensure access to adequate and affordable housing

   This target is highlighted by the simulation’s focus on paying the mortgage. The consequence of failing to do so is explicitly stated: “Mendenhall’s team didn’t pay the mortgage on time, and got evicted.” The subsequent overcrowding of the simulated homeless shelter points directly to a lack of adequate and accessible housing for those in crisis.

3. Mentioned or Implied Indicators

The article implies several indicators that are used to measure progress towards the SDGs, even if it does not cite specific data points:

• Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems

  This is directly implied by the mention of “Snap.” The article shows a family receiving and using these benefits, which is a practical example of what this indicator measures—the reach and impact of social safety nets.

• Indicator 2.1.2: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity

  The statement that $210 in SNAP benefits “covered almost two full weeks of food” implies a food budget shortfall for the other half of the month. This experience is a proxy for measuring food insecurity, reflecting a situation where a family cannot afford enough food for the entire month.

• Indicator 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing

  Homelessness is the most severe form of inadequate housing. The article describes participants being “evicted” and becoming “unhoused.” The detail that the “homeless shelter got so full that Mendenhall had to stay outside” is a powerful, albeit simulated, representation of the data this indicator aims to capture.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: kcrg.com