BSCI Students Make a Difference through Service Learning

For Summer 2024, student teams were led by Senior Lecturer and Field Lab Manager Jonathan Tucker and Atlanta Auburn Building Science Alumni Committee Associate Professor Darren Olsen.

“We have two sections of service learning classes in the summer,” Tucker explained. “Our team sizes range between 12–15 students. My team did two smaller projects, and Professor Olsen’s team took on the largest one.

“The first thing we ask of the client is scope,” Tucker added. “How do they envision it? Next is location. What does the site look like? And lastly, their expectations.”

Service learning clients are provided with a detailed estimate, a realistic schedule and a comprehensive presentation. Materials are donated by BSCI’s non-profit partners.

Summer 2024 projects included:

• Addition of a 12’ x 30’ lean-to-roof on to an existing pole barn structure constructed by a previous service learning team for the Tallapoosa Girls Ranch in Fall 2023. The Girls Ranch, located in Camp Hill, Alabama, and operated by the Alabama Sheriffs Association, provides a family-style residential home for at-risk children and youth.
• Construction of picnic tables and benches for The Exceptional Foundation of East Alabama. The EFEA is a non-profit organization established in Auburn to serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and provide opportunities for those participants to thrive and be engaged in social and recreational activities.
• Erection of walls and roof framing for Dovetail Landing’s first tiny home. Dovetail Landing, located in Lincoln, Alabama, is a project to benefit veterans following their return home from military service by providing a variety of resources along with 30 tiny homes where they can live temporarily if needed.

“I have consistently seen the transformative impact this course has on every student,” Tucker said. “Experiential learning significantly enhances their readiness for both the demands of industry and the challenges of life.”