Health Sciences students participate in poverty awareness event

Heartland Community College students participated in an exercise to gain a broad perspective on the affect poverty has on individuals. 

Heartland’s Health Sciences division hosted a Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) on Friday, April 18 to help provide students with a firsthand insight into the complexities and challenges of poverty. 

During the simulation, students and volunteers take on the roles of individuals and families struggling to meet basic needs. Over a series of 15-minute “weeks,” they navigate limited resources, interact with essential community services, and experience the difficult choices that many face daily.

“With the increase in poverty in our community, we feel this simulation is an opportunity for our students to learn about and better understand those currently experiencing poverty,” said Heartland faculty Martha Stearns, RN, BSN, who served as the simulation facilitator. “Health Sciences students in particular benefit from the exercise to understand what barriers patients could potentially be going through, and how that could impact their care.”

In Illinois 1.5 million people live in poverty which impacts not only their health but the way they utilize the healthcare system.