Leadership Jackson hosts poverty simulation

JACKSON, Tenn. — Leadership Jackson gives its student a hands-on experience of living in poverty.

“Hopefully with that they’ll be inspired to do what they can to inspire change,” Pierre DuVentre, chair of Leadership Jackson, said.

They started out the day hearing from James Dusenberry about his time in the military and commercial enterprise.

“What it means to be a leader, and it starts with service in connection and really developing your skills and the skills of the team that you work with,” Lee Wilson, a student with Leadership Jackson, said about Dusenberry’s talk.

Then they moved on to the Life in the State of Poverty simulation.

Participants were grouped into families, given new identities and then started their day.

The new moms and dads had to make sure they fed their families, got to work, got their kids to school and even got out of jail.

There were four sessions, each lasting 15 minutes, to represent one month of living in poverty.

Students say, after the simulation, they’re looking forward to learning how to serve their community.

“I’m here to learn from people who are experts on our community, experts on leadership, experts on how to serve in Jackson,” Wilson said.

Leaders say they hope that events like these will inspire change.

“Exposure first and foremost, a deeper level of understanding, and I think inspiration to have a heart for those who might not be in a fortunate situation,” DuVentre said.

This is the 40th year for Leadership Jackson. To find out more about the program, visit the Seen on 7 section of our website.