A collaboration between the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC) and the University of Notre Dame’s Art, Art History, and Design Department is equipping local students with valuable technical skills while contributing to a meaningful community engagement project.

As part of this effort, RCLC students have taken on a unique project: researching, planning, and building birdhouses to be gifted to families moving into Habitat for Humanity homes in South Bend’s Near Northwest Neighborhood. The theme of the project is “what makes a house a home?”

This initiative was inspired by Inauguration Build 2024, a five-day event in September that honored the Inauguration of Notre Dame’s 18th president, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. During the build, nearly 750 University faculty and staff came together to construct five affordable homes on Harrison Avenue.

RCLC Director Susan Devetski recalls the students’ curiosity about the massive project happening in their community.

“Our students are curious about everything,” she said. “While we couldn’t participate directly in building houses, we wanted to provide them with a meaningful experience. We thought a birdhouse would be a perfect way to introduce the ideas of shelter, community, and doing for others.”

The birdhouse, which will be presented to Habitat families as gifts in the spring, was a collaboration between Devetski and Jason Carley, assistant professor in Notre Dame’s Design Department. Together, they created the project which merged technical learning with community service. They decided on the birdhouse idea as it symbolizes the need for shelter and housing.

“The RCLC students learned about technical drawings and construction techniques, starting with research on bird habitats, and brainstorming what features an ideal birdhouse might have,” Carley says.

Students first created 2D sketches of their birdhouse designs, which were then transformed into wooden templates in the West Lake Makerspace on campus. Carley returned with the pre-cut materials for assembly, and the students eagerly put their creations together.

“It was important for them to physically build something they designed and to understand the fluidity of the design process” Carley adds. “They had a blast going through the assembly steps and piecing together the kits like puzzles, using tools like rulers, clamps, and screwdrivers.”

Devetski was struck by how deeply the students were engaged with the project.

“They were so hands-on, and it gave them a sense of accomplishment. It’s one thing to talk about engineering and design concepts, but it’s entirely different to build something with your own hands,” she says.

As the final phase of the project, students will paint their birdhouse in bright colors to protect them from the elements. Once completed, it will be distributed to families moving into Habitat homes, adding a special touch of welcome to their new beginnings.

“This project goes beyond building a birdhouse,” Devetski reflects. “It’s about teaching our students to give back and create something meaningful for others.”

The collaborative project was funded by a grant from Americorps.

Originally published by Colleen Wilcox at publicaffairs.nd.edu on November 07, 2024.