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Students reach out through 3 programs

"When are we ever going to use this in real life?"

Every teacher from grammar school to college has heard this question at least once, but University Architecture and Urban Planning students already know the answer to that question.

In three separate programs funded in part by the federal government, students from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning have been working to develop communities in Detroit. Students have taken their skills out of the classroom and into "real world" settings where they have helped plan the redevelopment of buildings, vacant properties, parks and historical buildings.

"These projects provide a wonderful opportunity for urban planning students to gain first-hand experience in working with community groups on various urban problems," said Robert Marans, chair of the school's Urban Regional Planning Program.

The students work under the guidance of faculty members and receive academic credit, which may aid in job-hunting, he said.

"(The students) have something to show and talk about when they enter the job market," Marans said.

In the Michigan Neighborhood AmeriCorps Program, 10 graduate students have studied and analyzed the economically impoverished Islandview community located on Detroit's east side. Their contributions ranged from assessing the structural integrity of existing buildings to creating a newsletter for the community and organizing local businesses into a coalition.

Students participating in the program said they had a unique opportunity to further their education and help people at the same time.

"The work I've done and am continuing to do has been the best and most valuable part of my graduate education," said Josh Sirefman, a graduate student working in the AmeriCorps program.

Robert Beckley, dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, said, "Programs like AmeriCorps have allowed the college to extend the resources of our students and faculty to communities in ways which were impossible before."

Beckley said he finds the students altruistic.

"Students and faculty in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning are driven by the desire to make the world a better place," he said.

In a separate project, University students are helping to redevelop Chandler Park in Detroit. Students surveyed local middle school students about what they wanted from the park and are designing ways to connect it with a neighboring public housing project.

Students from Assistant Profs. David Evans and Craig Hoernschemeyer's classes worked on another project. The students aided the restoration of the historic Norris House in eastern Detroit. The Norris House is an 1873 building built by Civil War veteran Philetus Walter Norris and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The students have been operating in cooperation with nationwide and local organizations. The college began these projects early last year with much of their funding coming from a two-year, $580,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The University shares the funds with Michigan State and Wayne State Universities.