Human Service Studies students awarded a $2,000 grant to Burlington Homes to create a wellness space for senior residents, applying program design and grant-writing skills to address community needs.
Students in Elon University’s Human Service Studies program recently awarded a $2,000 grant to support the creation of a wellness space for residents at Burlington Homes, a subsidized senior housing community that is part of the Burlington Housing Authority.
The funding was awarded through HSS 4110: Designing and Assessing Human Services Programs, a senior-level course taught by Tony Reyes, assistant professor of human service studies. In the course, students learn how to design programs that address social problems by conducting needs assessments, developing interventions, identifying necessary resources and evaluating program effectiveness.
Four Human Service Studies seniors — Ruby Radis, Izzy Greenstein, Chloe Vautrin, and Shayla Goba — wrote the grant proposal that led to the award. Their proposal recommended equipping a small wellness room where residents can participate in activities that support physical and mental well-being, including relaxation, movement and meditation.
As part of the project, students visited Burlington Homes to announce the grant award. During the visit, they met with Shandra Haynes, service coordinator for the community, and spoke with residents.
“The goal of the course is to help students understand how programs are planned, funded and evaluated in the real world,” Reyes said. “Rather than studying these processes only in theory, students work through the entire process themselves — identifying needs, designing a program and preparing a grant proposal.”
For the students involved, the project quickly became more than a typical class assignment.
“What started as a class assignment quickly turned into a passion project in which we were actively working with Burlington Homes members to address community needs,” said Greenstein. “Shayla, Ruby and Chloe genuinely cared about the outcome, so it didn’t feel like homework, and getting to meet the residents once the grant was awarded was the cherry on top.”
The grant funding was made possible through a gift from an Elon alumna who supports the Learning by Giving model, an educational approach that allows students to learn philanthropy by making real funding decisions. The model has been championed at Elon by Bud Warner, professor emeritus of human service studies, who advocated for incorporating hands-on philanthropy into undergraduate education.
The wellness space will provide a quiet area where residents can participate in activities that support relaxation and overall well-being. The room may also be used by Elon students and volunteers who visit Burlington Homes to lead wellness activities with residents.
Through the project, students gained experience researching community needs, working with local partners and developing a professional grant proposal.