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New Grant Funds Hispanic College Student Internships
 The National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, is supporting a Home Builders Institute program — TEAM BUILDERS ― that introduces high-achieving Hispanic college students to the residential construction industry through summer internships with NAHB members.
The program is a partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Latinos on the Fast Track (LOFT) program. Launched in January, TEAM Builders has received a $53,000 grant from the endowment.
The aim of TEAM BUILDERS is to encourage high-caliber candidates to join the management ranks of the nation’s home builders and supplier companies, positions for which there is expected to be unprecedented need in the next 15 years.
Twenty-five students are expected to intern with the pilot program sponsor, Beazer Homes, in offices across the country.
The endowment’s funding will support scholarships for the first class of TEAM BUILDER students to attend the International Builders' Show in February 2007. The scholarships will cover travel expenses, room, board and some administrative costs.
Funding for this grant was made possible through the support of Patsy Smith, endowment trustee and the 2005 HBI chairman, from the Herman and Patsy Smith Home Builders Institute Fund. Smith created the fund in 1999 in memory of her late husband as part of her seven-figure gift to the endowment to support initiatives at the Home Builders Institute. An additional contribution will be made from the endowment’s unrestricted fund.
“The TEAM BUILDERS program is exactly what I created this fund to accomplish — to bring new people into this industry and support worker training initiatives,” said Smith. “Herman would have been very proud to be part of such an effort, and I hope this program continues for years to come.”
“The National Housing Endowment is embarking on an effort to increase the number of individuals entering residential construction management,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “This program addresses this need in a profound way and the endowment is excited to play a part in its success.”
For more information, e-mail Page Browning, director for academic services at HBI, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8918.
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Thirteen Percent of Latino-Owned Businesses Are in Construction
The largest share of Latino-owned businesses operate in the service industries (42%), followed by construction and retail (13% each).
Data extracted from: U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Economic Census, Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises
— Latin Business Association (2002) |
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