October 21, 2005

Purdue to assist community ravaged by Hurricane Katrina

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will assist a Mississippi community hit by Hurricane Katrina with long-term recovery through service-learning and volunteer projects involving students, staff and faculty.

Purdue is working with Mississippi State and Alcorn State universities to identify one or two communities to be served by the project, called Partnership Purdue. Efforts, to begin immediately, will be coordinated through Purdue's Office of Engagement and Center for Instructional Excellence.

"Our vision is to have the partnerships that might extend as long as three years and focus on projects related to rebuilding infrastructure, housing, counseling services, economic development, landscape architecture, distance learning, social issues, nursing, education and information technology, to name a few," said Victor L. Lechtenberg, vice provost for engagement. "All faculty, departments and students from across the Purdue campus have the opportunity to participate, while care at the administrative level will be given to matching the right solution to the right problem."

Marne Helgesen is the Center for Instructional Excellence director who oversees service-learning projects that weave volunteerism into the classroom curricula. She said service-learning projects, such as rebuilding hurricane-ravaged communities, offer mutual benefits.

"Purdue students will gain from their service experiences just as the two state universities in Mississippi and the partner community will gain. Citizenship, leadership and applying the skills learned in the classroom are just a few of the benefits for our Purdue students."

While volunteers for short-term assistance already are being assembled, the service-learning projects can begin immediately. Examples of potential projects and Purdue departments to direct them include:

• Rebuilding library collections (Purdue Libraries)

• Writing resumes and grant proposals (College of Liberal Arts)

• Rebuilding well-water and sewage infrastructure (College of Science)

• Family counseling (Department of Child Development and Family Studies)

• Providing health care for survivors (College of Nursing)

• Providing management for new construction (College of Technology)

• Managing livestock and pets (College of Veterinary Medicine)

• Financial and business planning (College of Consumer and Family Sciences)

• Reorganizing classroom curricula (College of Education).

Several projects also might involve interdisciplinary teams. Other Purdue offices and organizations that will collaborate on these projects include the Cooperative Extension Service, the Boiler Volunteer Network, the Office of Community Relations and the Service Engagement Advisory Board.

"Engagement means reaching out and offering the resources of Purdue University to help others," Lechtenberg said. "We also look forward to working with Mississippi State and Alcorn universities on future collaborative projects. We are eager to do what we can for communities affected by disasters such as Katrina and to have a lasting impact."

Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Sources: Victor L. Lechtenberg, (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu

Marne Helgesen, (765) 496-6424, helgesen@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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