A home on Fifth Avenue hosted its first backyard picnic to close out the first of two years of service learning at the site.
The Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity home is being built largely by Penn College students on land donated by the college. The three-bedroom structure, started in Fall 2024 and expected to be completed in Spring 2026, will provide a safe, sustainable home for a deserving family.
Hands-on work on the home has coincided with class objectives in building construction technology; concrete science technology; electrical construction; heating, ventilation & air conditioning technology; and heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis. Students from other programs have volunteered, as well.
“Working here doesn’t compare with working in the labs,” said Jonah C. Horner, of Johnstown, adding that knowing a family will someday live in the structure they are building boosts students' motivation.
The Spring 2025 semester saw students, led by faculty, add shingles; windows; soffit; wiring and the main electrical control panel; a heat pump, duct work and energy recovery ventilator; a concrete sidewalk and driveway; and brickwork.
"Work on the house has gone extremely well, so we wanted to celebrate with the entire team and give the students who’ve worked on the home this year a shirt to memorialize their participation,” said Ellyn A. Lester, assistant dean of construction and architectural technologies. “I was so happy that everyone came over to celebrate and tour our progress, including Habitat’s leadership. This year has been so rewarding for everyone involved!”
Construction director for Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity is Andy Hamelly, a 2007 Penn College residential construction technology & management graduate.
For more on the project, two articles were published in Fall 2024, including one on the groundbreaking and a construction update.
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