June 30, 2022  1:30pm CT

Rob Anthony (far left), CPAH President, and Amy Rosenfeld Kaufman (far right), CPAH Director of Development and Community Relations, congratulate ETHS staff members (left to right) Matthew Kaiser, Shelley Gates, Eric Witherspoon, Kendra Williams, and Dale Leibforth on receiving a community partner award.

Evanston Township High School’s Geometry in Construction program was honored in June with the 2022 Community Partner Award for its extraordinary contributions to affordable housing in Evanston by Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH).

Since 2013, ETHS has collaborated with CPAH and the City of Evanston to build multiple homes for low-to-moderate income families. The Geometry in Construction program provides college- and career-bound students with the opportunity to learn the full geometry curriculum through the construction of a single-family home. The course is offered for both regular and honors credit. In addition to the mathematics coursework, students gain hands-on experience in home design, floor and wall construction, sheathing, roofing, siding, window installation, painting and trim work.

“This program empowers our students while at the same time providing those in need in our community the life-changing opportunity to obtain safe, permanent, affordable housing,” said Shelley Gates, who served as the ETHS Department Chair for Career and Technical Education during these first nine years of the partnership. “It is a win-win, and an incredible partnership that we hope will continue for years to come.”

CPAH is a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop affordable housing and provide services that empower individuals and families to secure and retain quality housing. For more information, visit its website.