Service learning in housing

Service Learning in Housing is a 2nd year course in the Real Estate and Housing B.Comm. major at the University of Guelph. It introduces students to the concepts of poverty, homelessness, and the struggles low-income households face in the housing market. In this course, student teams are assigned to volunteer with a non-profit organization serving low-income households. Most of these organizations are local and have offices in Guelph. Students typically work in groups of 3-5. Each student is required to contribute 10-15 volunteer hours. At the end of the course they present to their fellow students about the organization and its goals. They also write a reflective paper at the end of the course outlining how their thinking about low income households and the lack of affordable housing has changed over the course. This award-winning course received the Guelph Chamber of Commerce President's Business Recognition Award in 2009 in recognition of its contribution to the community. The poster describes several of the more successful projects undertaken by the students.