Iowa State University Extension

ISU Extension Resources

Poverty Simulation 

The Poverty Simulation increases the capacity of staff to work with low-resource audiences. ISU Extension staff conducted an evaluation study in 1998 to evaluate the Iowa Poverty Simulations. Results have been published in "The Iowa Experience with the ROWEL Poverty Simulation".

Horizons

The Horizons Community Leadership Program to Reduce Poverty helps communities build stronger leaders to address economic issues and find ways to implement change. Horizons is funded by the Northwest Area Foundation and implemented by Iowa State University Extension in partnership with Iowa citizens.

Cinderella Minus the Prince

"Cinderella Minus the Prince" is an active learning experience created to increase the understanding of the problems and choices faced by limited resource families headed by women. It can be viewed as an alternative to the ROWEL Poverty Simulation.

Building Communities with Strong Families

These materials and accompanying videotape are designed for communities wanting to start new efforts and for those who wish to strengthen what they are already doing.

Food Insecurity, Security, and Hunger

Food insecurity affects health, worker productivity, growth and development of children, sense of well-being and quality of life. This site offers resources for community leaders to learn about U.S. and Iowa food insecurity and hunger, identify individual and community factors that affect food security and hunger, create a profile of their community and find resources and internet sites related to food security, local food systems, and interventions that mediate or reduce food insecurity and hunger.

Copin County USA Simulation

"Welfare Reform: Local Policy Development: Copin County USA," developed by the North Central Region, is a hands-on opportunity to experience how local policy is made. This simulation helps people understand how they can effectively be involved in community decision-making.

 

Poverty Resources

US Census Bureau

Resources, research, and information about poverty in the United States
Poverty definitions, more...

Take a 2-Minute Poverty Tour

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has created this site to raise awareness about poverty.

 

Poverty Guidelines, Research and Measurement  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, publishes the Poverty Guidelines, information contacts and references on the Poverty Guidelines, the Poverty Thresholds, and the development and history of the U.S. Poverty Lines.
2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines

 

 

Institute for Poverty Research  

The Institute for Poverty Research is a national, university-based center for research into the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. It is non-profit and nonpartisan and is one of the two centers designated as a National Poverty Research Center by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Institute is located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

The Joint Institute for Poverty Research

The Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research is a national and interdisciplinary community of researchers whose work advances the understanding of what it means to be poor and live in America. The Poverty Research Center focuses on the causes of poverty and the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing poverty. The Center also facilitates the collection of new data, including state administrative data sets, that will be critical for advances in poverty research over the next several years.

Poverty Resources

The Northwest Area Foundation

The Northwest Area Foundation is committed to helping communities reduce poverty for the long term. Through three programs - Ventures, Connections, and Horizons - they work with rural, urban, American Indian, and rural Latino communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. We also help our communities through program-related investment and mission-related investments.

 

Everyday Democracy

Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center) is a national organization that helps local communities find ways for all kinds of people to think, talk and work together to solve problems.

National Issues Forum

National Issues Forums (NIF) is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come together to reason and talk — to deliberate about common problems. Indeed, democracy requires an ongoing deliberative public dialogue. Two discussion guide options:
* Making Ends Meet: Is There a Way to Help Working Americans?
* From Welfare to Work: Who Should We Help and How?

State Extension Services Resources

University of Missouri-Columbia Outreach and Extension  
Consumer and Family Economics provides consumer information on issues related to family and personal finance, family resource management, and poverty.

• Poverty at Issue:
  New educational programs and strategies are being planned in collaboration with the target audiences to be served, current or recent welfare recipients and their service providers.

 

Ohio State University Extension  
Ohio State University Extension publishes the Human Development & Family Life Bulletins. The following issues related to welfare and poverty are available.  

• Welfare-to-Work Transition
• Single Parent Families in Poverty