“Some students were wealthy and others poor, and they said they weren’t aware of the important issue of wealth equity in the world. Students realized that as they played, not all of them got out of the slums of Brazil, or made a million dollars, while others seemed to keep amassing wealth!

“These games are valuable to students because they are thrust into someone else’s shoes and can take a walk in them for a while.

“The students always comment on the fact that they didn’t know that people around the world have their own sets of problems; farmers, bankers and middle class—all have unique obstacles that they need to face and try to overcome.

“The kids also like the mini vocabulary lists! These really give a level of authenticity to the game.

“Hartland High School students and World Language teachers find these games entertaining, informational and interesting!”

Link Crew Coordinator
Hartland High School
World Languages Department
Hartland, Illinois

Photographs can provide inspiration, motivation, peace, inquisitiveness, enlightenment and more. It is our goal that you will find these and so much more as you view our photographs.

Our curriculum resources are intended to enhance the challenging job teachers perform in the classroom. Every day they must find a way to challenge, encourage, inspire, motivate and move their students to learn…and that is no easy task.

We hope that the resources you find here will aid in that endeavor and that they will make the teacher’s job a little easier. Hopefully these will also inspire your own creativity and resourcefulness to continue learning.

Footsteps Resources

Jeopardy Style Resource

MindWare has published a series of non-competitive board games designed to inform players learn about life in emerging market countries. These games are ideal for family, classroom, church groups, other social and community groups, business, and any other setting interested in learning about life in these countries.

Based on factual accounts of news events or personal experience, these adventure games engage players in the life, home, workplace, family and other circumstances that comprise day-to-day existence in each country.

Footsteps gives players an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of denizens of emerging market, rapidly developing economy countries and experience the joys and struggles, hardships and opportunities, pleasure and pain of their daily lives.

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Footsteps in Brazil

Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America with a population of over 184 million people.

The average per capita income in Brazil is about Rs 2960 or $7400 USD, with 32% of the population living in poverty and earning less than $2000 USD per year.

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Footsteps in Russia

Russia has one of the widest varieties of ethnic groups in the world, has eleven time zones that cover over 6.5 million square miles, and has a larger proportion of scientists that the United States.

The average per capita income in Russia RUB 74,100 or $2600 USD, with 20% of the population living in poverty and earning less than $600 USD per year.

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Footsteps in India

India has one of the world’s largest pools of scientific and technical experts, has the second highest number of entrepreneurs in the world, and is a major exporter of software services and workers.

The average per capita income in India is about Rs. 107,500 or $2500 USD,  with 25% of the population living in poverty and earning less than $2000 USD per year.

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Footsteps in China

China is the fourth largest and the most populous country in the world with a population of over 1.3 billion people.

The average per capita income in China is about Rmb 23,343 or $2940 USD, with 10% of the population living in poverty and earning less than $350 USD per year.

To equip students, as well as school employees, for doing business in these countries, schools must prepare them to understand how business is done in these markets. With dramatically different lifestyles and business practices, corporations understand that accomplishing this task is crucial to achieving success in these new markets. Only as students understand this will they be prepared to make a contribution.

Schools will spend a high number of classroom hours students can benefit from an understanding of life as residents of these countries live it. An exiting training game entitled Footsteps is designed for this same purpose. Footsteps will engage players in life in Brazil, Russin, India, and China by letting them experience the daily joys, struggles, andn opportunities residents experience in life and in making a living.

Footsteps was created by MindWare Inc., known for developing creative training solutions to corporate training needs. The two top MindWare executives have a combined 50 plus years of experience working to develop training events and materials.

According to Mr. William Higgins, MindWare founder, “The question I am often asked is, ‘How can we train people without boring them to death with facts and figures?’ “ Footsteps does just that. Players will experience life as a poor maid in Brazil, a middle-class farmer in India, a rich businessman in China, a poor street vendor in Russia, or numerous other roles in each of these countries.” Footsteps is an adventure game of walking in another’s shoes.

Footsteps^Ó will help schools raise student awareness and be better prepared to understand, partner with, develop and market products that these populations need and will benefit from.

“The game is fun, insightful, and teaches a lot about what life is like in these rapidly developing economy countries. It is not always fair, but it is realistic,” says Mr. Higgins.

Country sets available at the present time include Brazil, Russia, India and China. Events and situations portrayed are not fictitious, but come directly from documented news sources and in-country experience. A discussion guide, set of resources, and other materials is included with each game set for facilitators to help players discuss and learn from their experience.

Practicality is a hallmark of the consultative work of MindWare. Their goal is to make people more productive, effective and efficient. Footsteps will contribute to the schools’ goal of preparing students to engage in successful business endeavors in emerging market countries.