1. Training by Simulation
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
University of Arizona: Coconino County Extension
Beth Tucker

2. What is it and why do a Simulation?
Simulations are a training design to discover consequences about situations or assumptions
It’s a tool to put agencies in touch with people who actually use the policies and procedures they have developed.

3. Description
The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren simulation is a six hour workshop for service providers.
The Simulation was written by Extension and reviewed by grandparents in
Summer and fall of 2004.
Simulation models include...
Doctors Without Borders, A Refugee Camp
Mennonite Central Committee, In Exile
Oregon Extension,Navigating the Resource Maze

4. Simulation Goals
Agencies increase their awareness of barriers and gaps in services
Agencies learn what other agencies do to serve grandparents & grandchildren
Agencies explore system changes
Have agencies experience the environment of grandparents raising grandchildren,
its challenges and helping situations in order to spark some systems change that
could take the form of a.) increased collaborations (which it has done), b.)
increased awareness of resource needs c.) understanding for grandparent households and d.) changes to procedures and or policies.

5. Why Extension hosted a Simulation?
Other senior programs have a different mission.
Extension provides education, support and advocacy for grandparents raising grandchildren since 2002
Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents and RSVP provide volunteer opportunities and employment.
Extension also has a grandparent advisory committee, grandparent mentors and Master support group facilitators

6. Why Extension? We had insights into grandparent issues
We had community advisory board members that represented both audiences
We had volunteers committed to change relationships with providers
Six critical issues about services: physcial and emotional health,housing, legal,child care/respite,education

7. Design
Workshop materials were written by a team of KKONA staff and materials were reviewed by grandparents
Volunteers & grandparents were trained to facilitate workshop processing question
Workshop was held
Six month follow-up evaluation was conducted

8. Workshop

9. Sample Agenda

10. Resources Simulations take a team to host
1 Faculty, 3 staff, 1 Americorp volunteer and 16 volunteer facilitators
No special equipment
Large space to accommodate 8 round “family” tables and 12 resource tables
Agencies willing to send informed representatives to both pre training & the entire workshop

11. Participant Roles
Participants must shed their role and agree to engage in the experience
At the end of the workshop participants had to reassume their agency perspective to get at the changes individuals and agencies could make
Although some agencies sent multiple participants they were separated into different families.
FOR MORE INFO...
A DVD of the workshop is being produced and will accompany the CD for sale on replicating the Simulation workshop

12. Final Processing Activity

13. Extension’s Challenges
The challenges in hosting a simulation
Communicating a simulation as a learning tool
Recruiting agency information providers
Having adequate personnel and volunteers
Recruiting both participants and agency information providers. Made up grandparent families had to gather information sometimes from their own agency

14. Evaluation 100% attendees completed a phone interview Profile
9.6% were male and 90.3% female
55% of the respondents were agency participants; 42 % were information providers;25% were grandparents
Agencies were unaware of other and even their own agency’s procedures and resources
Collaborations have increased among grandparent service providers
Although some agencies sent multiple participants they were separated into different families.

15. Schedule Piloting the Simulation FOR MORE INFO... July Aug Sept Oct
Nov
Dec
June
Developing Materials
Outreach & Workshop
Evaluation
Developing included researching, writing,reviewing with population and rewriting
FOR MORE INFO...
For the complete guide to replicate this simulation entitled, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Simulation Workshop, CD ROM 89 pp. $25, visit:

16. Status
The Simulation workshop has been used in other communities and states