The UHS Habitat Club was formed in the fall of 2013 as a service-learning organization at Urbana High School.  Our core belief is that every person should have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live.  We put our belief into action by doing the following things:

• Partnering with our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate to work on houses in Champaign-Urbana.  We typically do 4-6 “Saturday Builds” a year, at which we participate in construction work on Habitat homes.  These are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and space is usually limited.  Students must be 16 or older to work on most Saturday Builds.

• Fundraising.  We engage in multiple fundraising activities to raise money for both our local Habitat affiliate and as a way to help students afford the Mississippi trips.  In a typical year, our fundraising usually includes:

  • Having a table at the Urbana Farmers Market

  • Writing grants  

  • Sponsoring UHS events, like the Virtual 5K, Title IX Volleyball, and a winter dance

  • Other stuff that comes up if we decide to go for it.

• Service-Learning trips to Mississippi.  We travel to Tutwiler, Mississippi twice a year (November and February) for week-long service-learning trips.  These trips take place during school and require absence from regular class.  Highlights of the trips include:

  • Living in a dorm with other students and teachers (surprisingly fun and meaningful!)

  • Working hard on Habitat homes every day.

  • Visiting cultural sites like the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, the Sumner County Courthouse (site of the trial of the murderers of Emmett Till), and listening to Blues music in Clarksdale (home of the “Crossroads”).

  • Working with Mississippi educational organizations, including the Spring Initiative, Griot Youth Programs, and tutoring in the elementary schools.

  • Development of friendships with others from a unique variety of backgrounds.

  We meet every Friday at both 7:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. in Room 2177 (Foley).  Everyone is welcome, and there are no qualifications for being a member of Habitat, beyond a willingness to learn and work hard to create some justice in this world.  You do not need skills of any kind beyond an ability to work well with others and to care about other people. 

  If you have any questions or want more information, please feel free to reach out to the lead sponsors: mark foley & laura Koritz.