Spotlight . . .

FAA 391 students' research from Fall 2010 gets published in a textbook on homelessness

In the 2010 Fall Semester, students in FAA 391 researched best practices of Permanent Supportive Housing models for housing the homeless.  They published a report which was presented to the Cities of Champaign and Urbana.  Part of this report was published by Greenhaven Press in their textbook series, "Opposing Viewpoints".  Read the original report here.

Get Involved

There are a variety of ways faculty, students, community members and not-for-profit groups can get involved with ESLARP's participatory action research activities. 

Students: Take a class working with ESLARP 

These courses work collaboratively with a variety of community partners in East St. Louis and Central Illinois to address critical needs in the community. Recent projects include information and technology, design/build assistance, and local issue research and capacity building.  Most of the courses involve one-on-one community involvement in area not-for-profits, giving students an opportunity to work hands-on with community members and leaders.

Faculty: Involve your class with ESLARP 

Faculty from accross campus are working with ESLARP in different capacities from serving on our Campus Advisory Committee to involving their class work in the community.

ESLARP offeres a uniqe structure to support faculty engaging in service learning activities in the community. We can assist in making the right connections with individuals or groups and provide logistical support for outreach efforts. We also encourage faculty to talk to us about the possibility of an ESLARP funded Graduate Assistant to assist the faculty in their community engagement activities. Email us at eslarp@illinois.edu for more information.

Community Members: Work with ESLARP 

ESLARP partners with a broad group of residents and organizations in Illinois and globally. We encourage your involvement and appreciate any learning opportunities our students are afforded through our partnership within the community.

There are several ways you can get involved. We encourage you to work with a non-profit organization in your local community to formulate a request for assistance such as a neighborhood or faith-based group. If you do not know of any groups you can work with we might be able to help you make the appropriate contact for your idea/need. Email us at eslarp@illinois.edu or call 217/265-0202).

Examples of ways we work with partners:

• Outreach Weekends - students work side by side with neighborhood residents and not-for-profit groups on beautification and clean up projects.
• Community Engagement Projects - several Professors at the University of Illinois work with local agencies and neighborhood groups to address needs in the community ranging from grant writing to design work and other projects as needed.

Everyone: Make a gift to ESLARP