The Cost of Poverty Experience: K-12 Edition
A high-impact immersive experience that deepens understanding of how poverty affects children, families, and learning—and equips educators to respond with insight and action.
Strengthening Schools by Supporting Students and their Families experiencing poverty.
A high-impact immersive experience that deepens understanding of how poverty affects children, families, and learning—and equips educators to respond with insight and action.
Why It Matters
Education offers one of the clearest pathways out of poverty. Yet for millions of students, poverty itself remains the greatest barrier to learning, opportunity, and long-term success.
The Experience
The Cost of Poverty Experience: K–12 Edition is a powerful 2.5-hour immersive simulation designed for educators, administrators, and school staff. Participants gain a firsthand look at the daily challenges faced by low-income students and their families—challenges that often extend far beyond the classroom but deeply affect student engagement and achievement.
Designed to fit seamlessly into professional development days, COPE sparks meaningful conversation and practical problem-solving. Educators leave with greater empathy, deeper understanding, and actionable ideas they can apply immediately to strengthen instruction, support families, and help close achievement gaps.
COPE helps educators and school staff:
Gain deeper insight into the realities of poverty and how they impact student learning
Strengthen practices that better support low-income students and their families
Build stronger, trust-based partnerships with parents to improve student outcomes
Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or district leader, COPE equips your school community to better understand students’ needs—and respond in ways that foster success for every child.
“I appreciate the opportunity to have gone through the COPE experience. WOW! I thought I understood the challenges that many face, but I wasn’t even close to understanding. The experience has really helped me to convey to staff, in Kettering, the difficulties that face many families. The perception, many times, is that people are just lazy and want a free ride. I have a much clearer understanding and share it every chance I get.”
Want to know more about our K-12 COPE?
An Experience For Everyone.
The Cost of Poverty Experience has been adapted to reflect the experience of poverty in various contexts. Please click on one of the sectors below that best describes the organization that you are affiliated with to find out how COPE can help you have greater impact.