Students continue Jimmy Carter’s legacy with Habitat for Humanity

After the news of former President Jimmy Carter's death broke last month, Rhinelander High School (RHS) teacher Wil Losch followed the coverage and felt inspired to share Carter's "extraordinary" life with his history and construction students when they returned from winter break.

What stood out the most was Carter's involvement with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building homes for people in need.

For three years, juniors and seniors in Losch's residential construction class have partnered with the Northwoods Habitat for Humanity and served as the primary volunteer group to construct a Rhinelander home.

"What impressed me about Habitat's mission and Carter's legacy is that it's the epitome of giving a hand up, not a handout," Losch said. "Carter's life and our collaboration with Habitat are about serving others. I remind the students of this regularly."

Last week, Losch invited Dave Havel, the executive director of the Northwoods Habitat, to his class to give a presentation on Carter's contributions to the organization, which the former president has volunteered with since 1984.

Afterward, the students returned to the construction site, where they are daily, even on cold January days.

This year, they're working on a house on Coolidge Avenue, next to the high school.

The collaboration is a win-win situation for the community, with students learning valuable trade skills while building homes for area families. It's a personal experience, too, as the students have met the future homeowner they're building for.

Losch credits RHS grad Ann Sorensen, now the construction manager at the Northwoods Habitat, for the success of the collaboration. She took the same residential construction class as a student, proving its influence.

And Losch's desire to share information about the 39th president with his students proves how much Carter influenced him.

“I have long admired Carter,” he said. “As a long-time history teacher, he's come up as a leader when we study the post-Vietnam era. Of course, he remained in the public eye with a prolific post-presidency — Nobel Peace Prize winner, Habitat for Humanity promoter, author, and activist.”

While Carter’s official state funeral occurred Jan. 9 in Washington, DC, and he will be buried in his home state of Georgia, his legacy is alive and well in the Northwoods.