College of Ed boosts hurricane relief work in Texas, Puerto Rico

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Baked goods were sold in three CoE buildings.

Students, faculty and staff in the NIU College of Education recently raised $2,200 to send to the HISD Foundation in support of the Houston Independent School District.

Ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, the Houston schools were forced to delay their opening days by two weeks or more. Seven school building were so badly damaged that their students were reassigned to other locations.

Although Harvey roared ashore more than 1,000 miles away from DeKalb, its devastation hit close to home for the College of Education, which partners with HISD for the Educate U.S. program.

Educate U.S. enables select participants to work side-by-side with mentor teachers, observing in classrooms, preparing lessons and engaging in co-teaching strategies outside of Illinois.

NIU students chosen for the donor-funded, all-expenses paid journey further enrich their experience by joining with Houston students, host families and community members in a variety of extracurricular and community events.

Laurie Elish-Piper
Laurie Elish-Piper

Program administrators placed cash jars in three locations within the college and held bake sales to raise $1,100 in four days. Dean Laurie Elish-Piper matched that amount, resulting in the $2,200 donation.

“I’ve been keenly aware, for more than 20 years, of the big hearts and the kind souls passing through these hallways. We are a family that cares for others, whether in Illinois or Texas. This is the NIU College of Education I know and love,” Elish-Piper said.

“Believe me, our partners in the Houston Independent School District will appreciate and make good use of our contribution to their recovery – and they will continue to honor our friendship by hosting our students for the life-changing Educate U.S. program,” she added. “We are fortunate indeed.”

Meanwhile, faculty member Laura Ruth Johnson is gearing up to help Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico.

Johnson, a professor in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, lives and conducts research in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. She also takes her graduate students there to practice community-based, collaborative research, an experience that many say transformed them as educators and scholars.

Laura Ruth Johnson
Laura Ruth Johnson

“Chicago’s Puerto Rican community has been a great partner to me, and to NIU students, in providing community immersion experiences for our graduate students, and helping to develop research partnerships,” Johnson said.

She is hoping to organize a December break service trip to Puerto Rico to assist with clean-up and rebuilding efforts, and would invite other members of the NIU community – faculty, staff and students – to join her, especially those with expertise in engineering, health care, agriculture and social entrepreneurship.

“The recovery in Puerto Rico will be long and arduous,” she added. “They are predicting that it could take up to six months to restore power to the entire island. More funds and support will be needed as the island tries to recover from this disaster, and the poorest residents will be the most affected.”

For more information, contact Johnson at lrjohnson@niu.edu.

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