INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

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IUPUI STUDENTS BUILD HOMES AND FUTURES

INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI construction technology students are laying the foundation for their future by helping to build homes for low-income families.

In Sanjiv Gokhale's Introduction to Construction Technology class at the Purdue School of
Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, students are required to work on a local Habitat for Humanity site.

On Friday, September 8 and on Tuesday, September 12 from 8-11:30 a.m., IUPUI students will help at the Barrington Gardens Habitat site at Van Buren St. and Perkins Ave. South on the southside.

"The project allows the students to get outside of the box by working with people from a variety of backgrounds," said Gokhale. "They learn how all of the different trades work together and begin to understand what teamwork is all about."

A former student of Gokhale's agrees. "You get an idea of what is actually taking place on a construction site, not just what's in the book," said 38-year-old Mark Sharer, an assistant construction coordinator for Habitat for Humanity. The project managers were so impressed with his skills during the class that they hired him to supervise future sites.

Gokhale's students have helped build five homes in the past four years.

"The greatest impact on the students is the life stories they learn about people," said Gokhale. "They get to hear how grateful these people are that they are finally getting a home."

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