Ivy Tech Class Donates Playhouse to Jill's House
December 12 , 2005      

Bloomington, Indiana. Students in Ivy Tech's DSN 109-Construction Materials and Specifications have constructed a playhouse that will be auctioned off during a downtown holiday event to raise funds for Jill's House, Inc. The playhouse auction, part of the Downtown Holiday Walk, begins at 7 pm on December 13, 2005, at the southeast corner of the Monroe County Courthouse.

John Whikehart, Ivy Tech Community College - Bloomington Chancellor, said, "This is another excellent example of our civic engagement goal of integrating a service learning project in our teaching curriculum. Design Technology Program Chair Kirk Barnes decided he wanted to make the design and construction of the playhouse a course objective, and the students selected Jill's House as the project they wanted to support to make a difference in their community."

The DSN 109 class is an introduction to the construction process. The course includes studying typical construction material and then progresses into the techniques used to create a building. Students are also introduced to various construction materials, their composition and application.

The Downtown Holiday Walk is sponsored by Jill's House and AM1370. Jill's House is a residence planned for patients and the families of patients being treated at the Indiana University Radiotherapy Center. The residence is named in honor of late IU student Jill Behrman.