Sixth Grade Project Week Tackles Poverty, Food Insecurity

Do you have enough money to buy food for your family this month? How can you afford paying rent and utilities? Where do you go if you don’t have a place to sleep at night?

People living in poverty make tough decisions every day—choices that others may not fully comprehend. To become more sensitized to the realities of living in poverty, sixth grade students at Cannon recently participated in a weeklong experiential learning project that included a poverty simulation, visiting community organizations that support people facing food insecurity and/or homelessness, and buying groceries on a limited budget. These activities were designed to raise students’ awareness of poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity.

“Project week exposes our sixth graders to the challenges that people in our community face and leads them through a variety of activities that help them realize both the resources within themselves and around them so that they feel inspired to make a positive difference,” said sixth grade English teacher Chase O’Brien. “Project week is my favorite week because our students’ ability to empathize with others is on full display.”

Students taking part in the poverty simulation—led by members of the Charlotte-based nonprofit Roof Above—were tasked with finding a path out of homelessness on an extremely limited budget. Students had to consider several options of assistance and select the choice that made the most sense to them—not always an easy task. The students found that mapping a quick way out of poverty was nearly impossible to do and often riddled with roadblocks, unexpected challenges, and lots of waiting. Students used words like “frustrating,” “disappointed,” “upset,” and “conflicted” to describe the emotions they experienced during the simulation.

Students also visited one of four community organizations that support people experiencing homelessness and/or hunger—Nourish Up, Hearts and Hands Food Pantry, Ada Jenkins Center, and Feed NC. From doing behind-the-scenes volunteer work at a food pantry to making sandwiches to feed others, students got a bird’s-eye view of challenges faced by many in the community and resources available to help them. Afterward, students discussed their experiences and shared what they learned with classmates who visited different organizations. On the final day of the unit, students brought their own money to spend and went grocery shopping to purchase items to the support the organization they visited.

Throughout the week, students completed a written reflection on what they learned. Each day ended with a read aloud of the novel And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps. Claire Kochiss ’31 summarized how the project week helped her empathize with different groups. “Now that I realize some of the ways that some people struggle, I can help my community by donating food to food shelters, volunteering at soup kitchens, and most importantly, teaching others about poverty and helping them understand how they can help, too,” she said. “If we keep repeating the cycle and teaching other people, we can make their lives so much better and less stressful. It’s always important to help others and be a kind and understanding person towards people who struggle.”