WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 21, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Students at two universities will benefit from improved residential construction management programs due to grants from the Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP) of the National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The grants were announced at the NAHB Student Chapter Award Ceremony at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando in February.
Rick Judson, 2012 first vice chairman of NAHB, spoke to nearly 1,000 students and faculty who attended the ceremony on Jan. 14, 2011. “You students today are so lucky to have this opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the building industry in the classroom rather than on the job like I did,” he said. “With NAHB Student Chapters and the investment made by the National Housing Endowment in these schools you have an unparalleled educational experience opportunity that will provide you with an advantage in your careers.”
The 2012 grants were awarded to these universities to be used during a four-year period:
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., was awarded $99,535. Georgia Tech was one of the first schools to receive HELP funding in 2006, which they used to start a graduate program in residential construction management. This second grant will provide training opportunities for faculty through NAHB certification programs, enhance curriculum to prepare students for NAHB certifications, and provide support to graduate students to research local industry needs and NAHB certification topic areas.
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., was awarded $99,263. LSU will use the funds to include NAHB designation content in courses in the new residential track. They will also sponsor college seniors to take the Builder Assessment Review (BAR) exam to assess their own program and distinguish their graduates. LSU also plans to create a formal residential mentoring program with the Capital Region Home Builders Association and establish a Residential Industry Advisory Board.
“Through the HELP grants, the National Housing Endowment works to help the residential construction industry develop more advanced and effective approaches to home building as well as to ensure the industry has an ample and well-trained supply of future workers and leaders,” said Robert Mitchell, chairman of the Endowment and 2000 NAHB president.
The National Housing Endowment established HELP in 2006 in order to support leading two- and four-year colleges and universities in their work to create, expand, or enhance existing residential construction management programs. The key goals of HELP include encouraging academic institutions to provide residential construction education tracks and increasing the number of qualified college graduates entering the industry.
HELP is the signature grant program of the Endowment and the cornerstone of its education effort. More than $1.5 million has been awarded to educational institutions since the program’s inception.
Previous HELP grant recipients include California Baptist University, California Polytechnic University –San Luis Obispo, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Northern Kentucky University, Colorado State University, East Carolina University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Jefferson State Community College, John A. Logan College, Middle Tennessee State University, North Dakota State University, Pennsylvania State University, Pittsburg State University, Purdue University, University of Nebraska – Kearney, University of Nebraska Lincoln, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, and Western Carolina University.
