Jennifer Helzer, an Associate Professor of Geography in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, along with students in her Urban Geography course conducted an innovative and groundbreaking project with the Modesto Airport Community in an effort to help residents improve the quality of life in their neighborhood.

Helzer developed the service learning opportunity for her students who worked with Airport Neighbors United, Inc. and Habitat for Humanity in Stanislaus County to develop an “Asset Map” of the region which highlights the challenges faced by residents there and improvements that are needed. After meeting with leaders in the airport neighborhood community, interviewing local businesses, taking lengthy bus trips through the area, and conducting archival research, the geography students created an asset map using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology to diagram strengths and challenges faced by this diverse and often overlooked community.

Students presented the asset map to community members at a meeting which included Habitat for Humanity in addition to representatives from law enforcement and the Modesto School District. Inadequate local transportation that impacts the ability of residents to attend school and access commercial services for fresh and healthy food were identified as major issues. The asset mapping efforts of the area by students will serve as supportive data for neighborhood representatives to request improvements at city and county government levels.

With the help of grant funding and the support of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Helzer’s students presented their work and other projects in early May at the 62nd Annual Conference of the California Geographical Society at CSU Chico. Geography course offering revisions have helped increase students’ ability to produce conference-ready posters associated with their research topics and class projects, Helzer noted. In addition to the presentations, students participated in a variety of field trips conducted by experts from the Chico area. In addition to Helzer, other CSU Stanislaus faculty recognized for their contributions to the program included Richard Eigenheer and Peggy Hauselt. Students Alison McNally and Marsha Bond-Nelson were award recipients.