Students educate on affordable housing

A State Farm Good Neighbor Service Learning Award for $1,000 helped Politics and Government Professor Gary Klass teach his students leadership skills, an appreciation of social and civic responsibility and practical organizational skills for volunteer service.

Klass' Community Service Leadership Seminar used the grant to prepare Powerpoint presentations and publicity releases, sponsor a public forum on affordable housing, conduct fundraising activities and work on the ninth Habitat for Humanity College home. Klass said the course addressed a community based issue and demonstrated how to make a contribution to human needs in our community.

The particular issues are affordable housing, affordable home ownership and homelessness. Students at both universities were expected to raise $25,000 for the Habitat home. The Illinois State Politics and Government service learning course allowed the students to gain fundraising, public relations and construction skills. Students were required to research and then educate on-campus and off-campus communities about Habitat and affordable housing issues in McLean County.

One educational venue was a public forum on affordable housing. "The Illinois State University\Illinois Wesleyan University Habitat collegiate home project provides many valuable serving learning opportunities for students at both campuses, and the students in this seminar gained leadership skills that will impact their communities for many years to come," said Klass.

(Illinois State University Media Relations News Service: Beyond the Classroom (pdf) Highlights of Illinois State University faculty and staff grants and contracts - fall 2004)