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.

The People of ESLARP

The East St. Louis Action Research Project (ESLARP) is a Community Engagement program within the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Under the direction of the ESLARP Director, a group of diverse faculty from across the University work together in an effort to provide expertise in their specific fields to address the immediate and long-term needs of marginalized communities. The ESLARP Director seeks advice from a Campus Advisory Committee (CAC) which meets regularly during the semester.

ESLARP staff (on and off campus) work with an ever-increasing number of residents and neighborhood organizations engaging in physical, economic or social development projects. ESLARP partners with residents, non-profit groups, faith-based organizations and municipal agencies in formulating strategies for meeting needs in the areas of community capacity building, neighborhood planning, urban design and construction, grant writing, parks and open space and digital information and technology.

ESLARP Graduate Assistants work closely with neighborhood organizations while providing valuable research activities to community partners. In addition to meeting the needs of their partners, students gain valuable knowledge by experiencing real-life situations in their community partners.