Just Economics is also dedicated to educating students, people of faith, policy-makers, business owners, and the general community about issues facing the working poor in our region, and proactive solutions to building a just and sustainable economy.

Our staff and volunteers lead workshops for churches and community groups on income inequality, economic trends in our region, and grassroots organizing.

Poverty Simulation

Just Economics’ new Working Poor Simulation is an experiential learning tool that exposes participants to the real life struggles of the working poor in our community.  Participants are assigned identities based on real low-income people and must complete the everyday activities of their families, like going to work, paying bills, applying for public benefits, etc.  The simulation involves moving between stations, which represent the institutions and businesses individuals typically interact with each month.  The simulation includes 3 month-long periods, and is followed by a reflection.

The Working Poor Simulation is a great educational experience for students, people of faith, and other community groups.  If you are interested in Just Economics leading a simulation for your group, contact 828-301-7291 or info@justeconomicswnc.org.

Voices for Economic Justice Program

Voices for Economic Justice is our leadership development program for low-wage workers. Its primary goals are to:
• develop leadership among low-wage workers in the local movement for economic justice
• bring together low-wage workers across the barriers that often separate us: race, language, gender, and geography
• provide opportunities for middle income people to work in solidarity with low wage workers.

Just Economics has completed two classes of Voices in the past years–training over 30 low-wage worker leaders in three languages from seven  countries.  Our tri-lingual English-Spanish-Russian model of leadership development is breaking new ground in Western North Carolina. Through Voices, we are bringing together workers across the barriers that often separate us–language, ethnicity, gender, race, and geography–to work collaboratively for economic justice.