Oh, SNAP! Poverty Simulations in Social Justice Classrooms: Active and Experiential Learning

ABSTRACT

The Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Challenge encourages critical self-reflection and analysis of biases over seven consecutive days. Active learning methodologies are discussed compared to preformed lectures. Adaptive flexibility and empathy are salient skills for social workers that are emphasized in simulations. Students are challenged to only eat the average daily allowance for approved food options ($4.50/day) and chronicle their observations. The Challenge improves students’ awareness of power and privilege with their future clients. This novel approach not only addresses the Council of Social Work’s Core Competencies but also trains new social workers to effectively deliver social services empathically.

Acknowledgements

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grant, P2CHD042849, Population Research Center, awarded to the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.