Black River Technical College (BRTC) Corporate & Community Education in conjunction with the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce hosted Leadership Randolph County Class III Friday at the historical Randolph County Courthouse where a poverty simulation was held.
The Community Development Institute of the University of Central Arkansas held a Poverty Simulation Workshop that allows those in leadership to put themselves in the shoes of the impoverished. The Community Action Poverty Simulation is an interactive, immersion experience. By roleplaying situations that are typical to the everyday struggle of the average person below the poverty line, leaders can find themselves making decisions based off of cues given by the simulation. For example, one cue is a young adult raising their siblings and another cue is grandparents raising their grandchildren with limited resources.
“The goal of the simulation is to provide a glimpse into the structural barriers of poverty to transform participants perspectives about their own communities…to inspire action toward positive community change,” according to povertysimulation.net.
Leadership Randolph County is an eight-month program sponsored by BRTC Corporate & Community Education and the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, designed to help participants become effective leaders and to facilitate increased involvement in the Randolph County community. Class participants develop an understanding of the many opportunities Randolph County offers, gain knowledge to enhance their leadership skills, and become actively involved in making a difference in their community.
For more information about Leadership Randolph County, contact Cally Shore at the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce at 892-3956 or Patti Blaxton at BRTC Corporate & Community Education at 248-4181.