RE: Houses and Intentional Programs

Chris,
Southern Methodist University, where I was previously a staff member, has
two residential community service programs.  The ICE (Inter-Community
Experience) Program has three main components: a seminar course on urban
issues, enrichment programs for neighborhood youth, and a house in the
neighborhood accommodating 4 students in the program.   The house was built
by SMU students in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity and serves as the
centerpiece for this program.

The second program is the SMU Service House, a cooperative living theme
house for 28 student volunteers in a former fraternity house on campus.
Residents, under the guidance of a hall director, coordinate everything from
kitchen duty to service projects.  As one of the founders I would be happy
to share some of the challenges and rewards of establishing such a program.

You can find more information under the Center for Community Involvement
website at http://www.smu.edu/~vols
or contact Bruce Levy, Director of the ICE Program at blevy@mail.smu.edu 
or Rebecca Bergstresser, Director of Community Involvement at
rbergstr@mail.smu.edu
For the student perspective, Katie Knox has been a resident in both programs
kknox@post.cis.smu.edu

Best Wishes,
    MIKE

Mike Kern
Program Coordinator for Service Learning
University of Texas - San Antonio
University Center 1.02.08
6900 North Loop 1604 West
San Antonio, TX 78249
(210) 458-4160  fax:(210) 458-4734
mkern@utsa.edu