History

Global Construct Collaborative started as a dream back in 2010 with Hannah Rosenthal. She had a vision of improving the quality of life for those living in the developing world. She brought this idea to the IPRO department at the Illinois Institute of Technology. They then started working on the project through the course of IPRO 2.0. The project was successful and was deemed a good project to run with and was approved to be an official IPRO in Spring 2012.

During the semester of Spring 2012 Global Construct Collaborative came up with a vision to design and implement a pedagogical curriculum that will alleviate the lack of well-designed shelter in impoverished communities. Our ultimate goal is to provide local residents with the proper design skills to build safe, sustainable housing for themselves and others. They came up with a four step process to achieve this vision. 


1. Existing conditions: Field partners provide their communities with varying types of support but are limited by the resources they have.
2. Develop Training Program: Working in connection with our field partners, Global Construct Collaborative develops a training program that is specifically targeted to each community.
3. Partner Runs Training Programs: After complete curriculum development has occurred our field partners take over running the training program, while Global Construct Collaborative move in to an advisory position.
4. Community Runs Training Programs: As time progresses, the responsibility for running the training program is shifted from field partners to community members. Global Construct Collaborative collects feedback that is used to improve and adapt the training program. The community will obtain education and skills that will provide employment opportunities. In addition safe, sustainable shelter will be designed and built by community members, increasing their independence and self-esteem.


We successfully completed this process with field partners Bruce and Paula Hepburn in a community on the border of Mexico. Global Construct Collaborative worked with an organization, WorldServe Project, to design a trade school and organize a trip to build it. In May 2012 members of Global Construct Collaborative and a team with WorldServe Project traveled down to Mexico to build a trade school and leave behind a curriculum to be taught.

Bruce and Paula Hepburn along with others that work with the community monitor the trade school and help it function properly. We are still in contact and hear feed back on how we can improve our program.