What does it really take to navigate everyday life when financial resources are limited and unexpected challenges arise? That was the question at the heart of the September 29th MAX Academy: Walking in Their Shoes, A Poverty Simulation Experience, held at Atlanta Technical College’s Cleveland L. Dennard Conference Center. Presented by Google and powered by Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, School of Social Work, Professional Excellence Program, this immersive learning experience invited workforce development professionals to step into the lives of individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. Rather than simply discussing the barriers people face, participants were challenged to experience how decisions involving employment, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, and public assistance can quickly become overwhelming when resources are stretched thin.
Led by Georgia State University instructors Darrell Green and Liz Gallaspy, the experience began with participants assuming the roles of individuals and families navigating difficult financial circumstances. Working through realistic scenarios, participants confronted competing priorities, unexpected setbacks, and the complexities of accessing essential services while trying to maintain stability and pursue economic opportunity. Following the simulation, participants came together for a facilitated debrief and reflection, exploring how financial stress, systemic barriers, and everyday decisions intersect to shape the experiences of the individuals and families served by workforce organizations. The discussion was designed to encourage participants to think more deeply about the importance of empathy, responsiveness, and practical support in helping people overcome barriers to employment and economic mobility.
This MAX Academy reinforced an important lesson for workforce professionals: understanding the challenges people face requires looking beyond individual circumstances to recognize how interconnected systems and policies influence their opportunities for success. By creating space for experiential learning, reflection, and shared understanding, Walking in Their Shoes offered participants an opportunity to reconsider how they engage with customers, design services, and collaborate with partners across the workforce ecosystem. The experience underscored the value of meeting people where they are, recognizing the complexity of their circumstances, and working together to create more accessible, compassionate, and effective pathways to economic mobility.
ABOUT THE MAX ACADEMY
Launched in 2014, the mission of MAX is to advance economic resilience in the Atlanta region by strengthening connections, collaborations, and practices among workforce developers and organizations engaged in workforce development. One impactful way we do this is through the MAX Academy.
The MAX Academy offers professional development and capacity building training workshops to help workforce development professionals develop new skills, learn best practices, and engage in peer-to-peer learning.
