Talking Stick - May/June 2009 - 11

Photos: family sCholar hoUse SinglE PaREntS gEt BooSt fRoM houSing oRganization nIng gree uses P caM New Program Will Spread Green to Under-Resourced Institutions Second Nature, with financial support from the Kresge Foundation, has launched a new program called Advancing Green Building in Higher Education. Together they will offer financial and educational support for building green to historically black colleges, tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, and U.S. Department of Education’s Title III and V institutions. The three-year, $1.2 million grant from the Kresge Foundation will provide financial assistance for eligible institutions to build green, and Second Nature will give them access to information about what has already been learned from building sustainable facilities. Second Nature will also give 40 fellowships to senior managers from the eligible institutions. Facility managers, campus planners, and vice presidents of finance or business will be given the opportunity to learn the skills and technical information they will need to lead green projects on their campus. A portion of the grant funds will also go to 100 under-resourced institutions for membership discounts to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). According to a press release, Second Nature will also help these institutions train contractors, set up regional summits for institutions to share information, and assist with developing a strategy document that will examine integrating green building into their academic curricula. To learn more about this program and to see the institutions that were accepted into it, go to www. secondnature.org. Family Scholar House, a non-profit organization that provides housing for single parents pursuing their undergraduate degrees in Kentucky and Indiana, is adding 54 new apartments in Louisville, Kentucky. The $10 million project, called Downtown Scholar House, will be located near Spalding University, Jefferson Community and Technical College, and the University of Louisville. Downtown Scholar House will be completed in August 2010 and will join Louisville Scholar House, a 56-apartment community which opened in October 2008 and is adjacent to the University of Louisville. Family Scholar House began as Project Women in 1995, when a group of women from a Louisville church wanted to create an initiative that promoted education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, says Intake Specialist Laura Chai Hunzinger. The name was changed officially in June 2008 when the organization accepted its first single father. The program requires residents to participate in monthly community service and to meet regularly with a case manager and an academic advisor. They also attend monthly Empowerment for Family Success meetings, which cover topics such as financial literacy, computer skills, and family nutrition and wellness. Residents are offered social programs as well, such as a toddler book club and a parent poetry group. Housing is subsidized, with rent being covered by federal housing vouchers. The program also works closely with the nearby universities. “We believe strongly in the effectiveness of collaboration and community partnerships,” says Hunzinger. “Local universities are supportive of our program and welcoming of our participants in the community. Staff and faculty members also refer prospective participants to our program.” The Downtown Scholar House was built in response to the fact that the Family Scholar House waiting list had grown to over 350 families. In 2008, Family Scholar House served 845 families, and there are plans to expand to Carrollton, Kentucky, and southern Indiana in the near future. “Our participants are happy to receive the academic advising, case management, and housing support from our program,” says Hunzinger. “They are grateful to have safe, affordable housing for their families while they are pursuing their education.” To learn more about Family Scholar House, visit www.familyscholarhouse.org. May + June 2009 11

http://www.secondnature.org http://www.secondnature.org http://www.familyscholarhouse.org

Talking Stick - May/June 2009

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