Our Goal:
To raise awareness about poverty in local communities and around the world by educating and empowering high school students to take action.
This program is on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited our team’s ability to connect and establish an in-person class schedule that we had initially planned. Please check back in a few months from now!
Our Partner
Operation Poverty has partnered with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board for this project to develop and implement a poverty education program for high school students. This lunch-hour and after-school program will be designed to both teach and equip high school students about different poverty situations around the world. The skills students in this program will learn also extend to preparation for higher education and real-life engagements.
Why Hamilton?
- With a population of 579,000 people, Hamilton’s poverty rate is at around 15%, above provincial levels. This rate is much higher among children at 20.5%.
- Many areas and neighbourhoods in Hamilton are impoverished with outdated infrastructure. The municipality has started to revitalize some areas in recent years.
- By educating and empowering Hamilton’s youth today, they can lead and contribute to the revitalization of their communities in the years to come.
About the Poverty Education Program
DUAL–LENS APPROACH: BUSINESS & MEDICAL
CASE STUDY METHOD OF LEARNING
INTERACTIVE, GROUP-BASED MODEL
Dual-Lens Approach: The program will be taught using both a business/organizational and a medical/health-based perspective. This way, students will not only understand how poverty affects populations at an individual level, but also the role of governments, organizations, and policies in alleviating poverty. Students will be exposed to the study and nature of governments, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and medical institutions.
Case Study Method of Learning: Case studies will be used to introduce students to a unique poverty situation worldwide. Students will have the chance to explore different areas of the world, and consequently, gain a global perspective on some of the most important issues we humans face. Using case studies will train students to develop critical skills in reading, analysis, idea-creation, and discussion.
Interactive, Group-Based Model: Students will work extensively in teams to simulate the problem-solving process of most organizations today. Sessions will be open, energetic, and generate important discussion; this way, ideas can be bounced off each other, challenged, and strengthened. More importantly, students will develop teamwork and collaboration skills.
Operation Poverty 