Skip to content
  • Email Signup
  • Contact Us
Compass Horizontal W Mod White (1)
MENU
  • Compass Partners in Learning
    • Professional Development
    • Community & Family Engagement
    • Classroom & Team Support
    • Data, Evaluation & Planning
    • Culture & Connection
    • Training & Events
    • BHSSC Canvas Catalog
    • TIE Conference
    • Birth to Three
    • 21st Century Programs
    • SD SFEC
    • BHOLC
    • ThirdSpace Collaborative
    • First LEGO League
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Careers
    • Compass Membership
    • Title Funding Planning & Support
    • PD Catalog
  • Blog & News
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Escape Room Experiences

  • Home
  • Community & Family Engagement
  • Escape Room Experiences
APPLIED LEARNING

Unlocking Perspectives

Escape Room Experiences are immersive, story-based activities that spark empathy, encourage teamwork, and inspire real change. Through realistic community challenges, participants gain a deeper understanding of others’ experiences and leave better equipped to create meaningful change in their schools, organizations, and communities.

Request Information
CFS25_Website_1-2IMG1-2TXT_500x500_UnlockingPerspectives_2

Types of Experiences

Grandma Leah’s Story: Poverty Escape Room

Step into the life of Grandma Leah, a devoted caregiver navigating the challenges of systemic poverty while raising her grandchildren. This experience, tailored for businesses, community organizations, and leadership groups, builds empathy and helps participants understand the impact of systemic barriers on families facing financial hardship.

Charlie’s Experience: Building Healthy Relationships

Explore the realities young adults face as they transition out of foster care and into adulthood. Ideal for high school students and their mentors, this session highlights the importance of strong support systems and their role in helping youth navigate life’s challenges confidently.

Luke & Lorelai’s Story: The Cliff Effect

Experience the frustrations of the “cliff effect,” where increased income can result in the sudden loss of essential benefits—trapping families in financial uncertainty. Geared toward HR professionals, hiring managers, businesses, and nonprofits, this experience sheds light on workforce development challenges and offers insight into supporting financial stability in your community.

Hayden's Story: Workplace Disability

Experience the challenges of managing depression and anxiety while meeting workplace expectations. Geared toward HR professionals, supervisors, leadership teams, and workforce development groups, this experience builds awareness of invisible disabilities and offers practical insight into creating supportive, accountable workplace environments that benefit both employees and organizations.

New Experiences Coming!

New Escape Room Experiences will launch in the coming year, expanding the Empathy Series and offering more opportunities for shared understanding, learning, and collaboration.

Training Details

  • Each experience runs 90 minutes to 2 hours, allowing time for immersive participation, thoughtful discussion, and meaningful action.

  • Escape Rooms work well for groups of 10 to 75—ideal for team-building sessions, staff trainings, or large community events.

  • Flexible by design. The setup adapts to your space, whether it’s a classroom, gym, or auditorium. CFS provides all the materials. You simply provide the venue and projection equipment.

  • Pricing is flexible and tailored to your organization’s needs.

REAL-LIFE CHALLENGES

Our Approach

  • Each escape room is grounded in real stories—bringing authenticity and relevance into every scenario.

  • Participants take on roles of individuals navigating real-life challenges like poverty, foster care, and employment barriers to build empathy through experience.

  • Each session concludes with a guided discussion to deepen understanding and help participants turn insight into meaningful action.

BHSSC26_1333x1333_0004_DSC5419 GridSquare
  • A7403553
  • A7403594
  • DSC5396

Maximize Your Title Funding

Compass specializes in transforming Title funds into innovative, customized family engagement strategies.
Learn More
Testimonials

See the Impact

St. Thomas More High School, Senior Poverty Escape Room Participant

"I think the poverty escape room was very impactful. While it was fun, we realized that we have never had to struggle with such poverty. The experience opened our eyes to the fact that every situation is different and that poverty is real. The whole experience reminded me that we don't all have the same amount of privilege. The escape room impacted my views."

Emily Sosa Alvarado Poverty Escape Room Participant

"Coming from a low income family, this gave me a new perspective on what my parents had to do."

Jane Gubrud Poverty Escape Room Participant

"The emotional toll of poverty is enormous and has a ripple effect that makes me ask myself "What changes need to be made to help individuals?"

Rapid City Catholic School, Senior Poverty Escape Room Participant

"The students in my group asked me why I was so careful with our resources and why I wouldn't share with other groups. It was hard for me to explain that my mom and I have to be careful with our gas so that we have enough."

Marjorie Maclean Poverty Escape Room Participant

"Poverty is hard. There are so many obstacles to breaking free, and the stress of poverty is real. And worse yet, feeling judged when in poverty feels like failing."

Kate Feilmeier Poverty Escape Room Participant

"I knew there was no way to escape or survive the day without making choices that go against my ethics. I went into this with the mindset of someone choosing to survive no matter what. It felt good to survive and awful to have to break my ethics. It validates the stress of poverty further because just surviving is stressful enough but having to go against one’s ethics is another layer of stress."

Partner with Us

Partner with us to strengthen family relationships and support student success. Together, we’ll build a stronger, more connected community.

Get Started

More Community & Family Engagement Services

Managing Emotions: Using Calm Kits

This course introduces brain-based self-regulation strategies, using sensory tools and calm spaces to support students. By partnering with families, we promote emotional well-being in and beyond the classroom.
Learn More

Family Voice

We help school administrators build trust and open communication with families and the community. Together, we can create a positive school culture where collaboration leads to better student outcomes.
Learn More

Family Engagement Leadership Teams

These teams unite educators, families, and community leaders to create lasting partnerships that uplift student success. Through shared strategies and meaningful connections, we strengthen school-family relationships.
Learn More
Compass Horizontal W Mod White (1)

The Compass Vision

A future where schools, families, and communities are connected to support all individuals.

  • Services
    • Professional Development
    • Community & Family Engagement
    • Classroom & Team Support
    • Data, Evaluation & Planning
    • Culture & Connection
  • Learning Opportunities
    • Training & Events
    • BHSSC Canvas Catalog
    • TIE Conference
  • Projects
    • Birth to Three
    • 21st Century Programs
    • SD SFEC
    • BHOLC
    • ThirdSpace Collaborative
    • First LEGO League
  • Who We Are
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Careers
    • Compass Membership
    • Title Funding Planning & Support
    • PD Catalog
  • Blog & News

Copyright © 2026 Black Hills Special Services Cooperative.
Privacy Policy

BHSSC_Logo

Compass Partners in Learning is a division of Black Hills Special Services Cooperative