Community Education

EDGE NEBRASKA CITY

EDGE Nebraska City is committed to educating community members and stakeholders about poverty and how it impacts an individual, family and community. Poverty is the extent to which a person does without adequate resources, whether it is financial, relationship, health, spiritual or educational.
 
EDGE Nebraska City will design a learning opportunity specific to your organization (community groups, businesses, churches, etc.) which will help attendees understand the complex realities of poverty in our community. Some options include:
 

Film Event: Standing Up to Poverty

(NE Loves Public Schools Films)​

EDGE will host a film event at your location. This 30 minute film allows attendees to understand poverty from a local Nebraska perspective. The film will be followed up by a 30 minute debrief or panel discussion for your group. A great way to begin the “poverty conversation” in your group.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty

An Overview

Ruby Payne’s groundbreaking work in helping educators understand the culture of poverty has proven to be very helpful to civic groups, churches, businesses and elected leaders. EDGE leaders can provide an overview of this work to your group. We are not certified Ruby Payne (aha! Process) trainers, certification will be achieved in the fall of 2019. Our overview would include the following:
  • “Could You Survive In Poverty” challenge
  • Understanding the Hidden Rules of Class
  • The general definitions of poverty and local statistics
  • The common ways people move out of poverty

Poverty Simulation Experience

This experience is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month. It is a simulation, not a game. The objective is to sensitize participants to the realities faced by low-income people.

In the simulation, up to 88 participants assume the roles of up to 26 different families facing poverty. Some families are newly unemployed, some are recently deserted by the “breadwinner”, some are homeless and others are recipients of federal aide programs. Still others are senior citizens receiving Disability or Retirement or grandparents raising their grandchildren. The task of the “families” is to provide for basic necessities and shelter during the course of four 15-minute “weeks”.

The experience lasts 2.5-3 hours, and includes a time of debriefing for all participants. 

There is a facilitation fee for this program.

Contact EDGE to learn more about having a personalized learning opportunity designed for your organization!

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