Collegiate Challenge

It only takes one week to change a life...

Collegiate Challenge is Habitat for Humanity’s year-round alternative break program that provides opportunities for students from youth groups, high schools and colleges to spend a week of their school break building a house in partnership with a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in the United States.
 
A Collegiate Challenge trip may be the best school break trip you will ever have. Not only do you help people in need, but you’ll have the chance to improve your carpentry skills, connect with new people in a new place and put your faith into action by making a real difference in Habitat for Humanity’s work of eliminating substandard housing.

Seven reasons YOU should participate:

  • Improve your leadership skills.
  • Develop and strengthen friendships.
  • See the impact your work is having on communities.
  • Learn more about poverty housing issues and how you can help.
  • Visit new areas of the country.
  • Affect a global cause by advocating on behalf of poverty housing issues.
  • Help provide a simple, decent, affordable place to live for people in need.

    Find out what students are saying about Collegiate Challenge Martin County.

Collegiate Challenge Martin County

Collegiate Challenge is an alternative school break program that provides students the opportunity to spend their week-long school break building a home in partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the United States. Habitat for Humanity of Martin County has hosted more than 14 college groups since 2006. The volunteer department and the faith relations outreach team for Habitat for Humanity work together when a group signs up through Habitat International’s Web site. In the past, local churches have provided housing for the college students. Recently, groups have been larger and a new relationship with the Clarion Inn of Stuart has been formed to provide housing. Also, area churches and businesses are called upon to provide lunches and dinners for the students. Any college group who participates in Collegiate Challenge is required to provide a donation to the Martin County affiliate set at the affiliate’s discretion. It is truly wonderful to see God’s work first hand through these students.

During the week of Jan. 10, 2011, Habitat for Humanity of Martin County was visited by students from Brown University. These students built at a home in Hobe Sound on Citrus Way and also helped out at the ReStore. Thank you to the students and advisors of Brown University for making the long trip to build a home for a family in Martin County. We sincerely appreciate your gift of volunteerism. Thank you to the following sponsors, churches and individuals for supporting the Habitat for Humanity mission by assisting our Collegiate Challenge Groups.

Provided housing and meals:

  • Clarion Inn, Stuart
  • Chick-Fil-A, Stuart
  • Taste Casual Dining, Hobe Sound
  • Banbury Cross Bakery, Hobe Sound
  • First United Methodist Church, Stuart
  • Jensen Beach Community Church
  • Trinity United Methodist Church, Stuart
  • Temple Beit Hayam

College groups in the past who have come to help Habitat for Humanity and the Martin County community include Madonna University, Gannon University, University of South Carolina-Aiken, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and -Madison, Virginia Tech Navigators, Regis University, Wartburg College, Westfield State College, Western Iowa Tech Community College, University of Minnesota, University of Southern Indiana, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California-Los Angeles, and Pepperdine University.