Undergraduate project promotes Habitat for Humanity

A team of four undergraduate UW–Madison journalism students has launched a campaign to educate young people about poverty, homelessness and low-income housing – and in turn spur greater involvement in Habitat for Humanity.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, the students are sponsoring a panel discussion on campus that features experts in homelessness, poverty and the increasing need for low-income housing in Dane County. The free, public event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street. See “Today in the Union” for the room number.

Panelists will include Tom Kaplan of the UW–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty; Brian Miller, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity-Dane County; and Mona Wasow, UW–Madison professor emeritus of social work and board member of Madison affordable housing advocacy group Porchlight.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization committed to eliminating world poverty and homelessness by providing low-cost housing. The journalism students are assisting this organization as part of the national Bateman Competition, sponsored by the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Each year, PRSSA chooses a national nonprofit organization to support through student marketing and public relations campaigns. Hundreds of university teams are competing this year to create the best project to increase brand awareness of Habitat and to expand its volunteer base among 18- to 25-year-olds.

UW–Madison Undergraduate team members include Rachel Alkon, Jennifer Lemke, Allison McKinley, Stephanie Ragonese, and Janell Wise. The team also is working to sign up students and community members for upcoming Habitat building days in Dane County.

For more information on the student project, please contact Rachel Alkon at (516) 238-9173, rfalkon@wisc.edu, or visit the team’s Web site.

The co-sponsor of the project is the Wisconsin Union Directorate Contemporary Issues Committee. Director Matt Rink can be reached at (608) 263-2458, mjrink@wisc.edu.