Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Allow me to share this Save the Homestead petition.
In the photo, that's me at age 20 (in the beanie) with my fellow Homesteaders in front of Cabin Bob, our strawbale community center. Yes, I graduated from the Homestead at Denison University, an experiment in sustainable community living unique among American colleges and universities. For almost 50 years, the Homestead has been a powerhouse of learning through living for the twelve residents and many other students and visitors, with building and gardening projects, community dinners, campfires, musical performances, and more.
Denison University plans to close the Homestead on its 50th anniversary year, 2027. The university administration made this decision behind closed doors, without consulting current students or alumni. Notably, MANY current Denison students want to live at the Homestead, with especially high interest among the class of 2029 (current first year students). I’ve been working with a team of alumni to save the Homestead. With input from current Homies, we’ve almost finished our strategic plan, which presents a vision for keeping the Homestead as a residential community and revising the program to offer more consistent and coherent professional training for both resident and non-resident participants.
Independent of us, a friend of the Homestead started this petition to save the Homestead on change.org. Please take a minute to sign it. If we get 1,000 signatures, our chances of making a difference will increase. Godspeed!
Photo by Ameen Howrani
