Macro-Level Social Work Interventions in Schools: Poverty Simulation Programs as Professional Development Opportunities for K–12 Educators.

This article focuses on addressing the gap in K–12 educators’ understanding of poverty and its impact on students through professional development, specifically highlighting the Community Action Poverty Simulation as an experiential learning tool. Poverty significantly affects students’ academic achievement and social–emotional development, yet many educators hold individualistic attributions of poverty that hinder effective teaching and relationship-building. The Community Action Poverty Simulation engages educators in role-playing scenarios to increase empathy and knowledge about the challenges faced by families living in poverty, aiming to transform attitudes and improve educational equity. The article emphasizes the role of school social workers in advocating for and implementing such interdisciplinary training and calls for further research and policy support to enhance poverty-related education for teachers.