Conflict, chaos, environmental degradation, and humanitarian crises correlate with a lack of economic prosperity and social development. People turn to crime, drugs and other social acts of self-degradation after losing hope and confidence for a better life for themselves and their families. Lack of education and employment opportunities increase the potential for involvement in illicit activities. It is therefore important to provide at-risk population with the skills necessary to secure gainful employment and resist involvement in self-destructive activities. The construction industry which is a significant contributor to the gross national product of the United States, and many developing countries, holds the potential to employ many adequately trained workers through the creation of small and medium sized businesses. Improving business skills and hands-on learning in construction processes can result in significant benefits for resource-poor populations in terms of their everyday lives. Teaching students how to transform ideas, relationships, and collaborative partnerships into action plans can result in new business ventures that can stimulate economic development as well as steer graduates away from crime, drugs and other acts of self-degradation. Careers in the construction industry can open doors to at-risk groups giving them hope and confidence in a better life. This paper explores the role of construction education and humanitarian organization partnerships as an agent for positive change in the resource-poor communities. These partnerships have the potential to not only improve education and employment opportunities for people at-risk but also to create more robust programs for construction education in the United States. Construction skills training programs can positively affect the program participants and their families as well as the target community of the host country. For a resource poor individual who participates in the program, the skills and training provided can allow for lawful, sustained employment and economic prosperity, when unlawful options are prevalent. Sustained employment creates local small business opportunities and allows the program participants to train and employ other at risk individuals in their local communities. As at-risk individuals begin to prosper, their quality of life increases and they are able to provide their families with opportunities that would not be possible in the previous state of poverty. Increased individual prosperity leads to economic growth within the host community. Aside from the primary objective of improving living conditions in impoverished communities and addressing global development challenges, the construction education programs in the United States that develop and implement these programs realize benefits. The faculty and staff members who participate in the training are directly exposed to global perspectives and diversity in education. In turn, construction education faculty and trainers return to their educational institution with new knowledge and research topics to benefit the international community. Participating faculty share their experiences and diversified knowledge in their classrooms creating more robust education and globally minded students. This paper concludes with recommendations to construction education programs and faculty who are interested in using their knowledge and skills to improve the quality of life in resource poor communities.
