For more than 30 years, the National Housing Endowment, NAHB’s philanthropic arm, has continued to invest in the residential construction industry, giving back more than $15 million to date.

Since 2009, the signature initiative of the endowment, the Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP), has invested more than $5.9 million in grants to 47 colleges and universities nationwide to increase the number of qualified graduates entering the home building industry.

This year, there are three HELP grant recipients:

• California State University in Sacramento will use its funding to establish an NAHB Student Chapter, develop residential construction curriculum, and strengthen its relationship with its state and local HBAs. It will also partner with local high schools to expose students to education and career opportunities in the home building industry.
• Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., received its third HELP grant and will use this grant to teach the latest advancements in smart buildings, solar and wind energy generation, and battery storage systems. They will collaborate with NAHB Economics to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of data analytics, conduct research projects and collaboration with industry partners, and develop specialized courses and programs covering project management, cost estimating, construction methods, design, sustainability and regulations specific to mixed use and multifamily.
• Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., also received its third HELP grant and will partner with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) to plan out rural revitalization residential projects for student participation and develop a senior capstone course built around the concept of rural revitalization and service learning initiatives. Purdue will also share best practices for rural development programs to motivate universities throughout the country to engage in rural revitalization projects in alliance with each state’s USDA rural initiatives.

“We’re looking for builder partners to champion some of these new programs in their city,” added Scott Wentz, HELP Advisory Committee chairman. “Reach out to your local HBA or NAHB Student Chapter, connect with a local school, connect with us here at the National Housing Endowment. And I see us being a connector and a catalyst for this synergy.”

Learn more at nationalhousingendowment.org.