Sandra Steele, Educational Consultant

Stetson Graduate Matt Deyo-Svendsen Wins Habitat Award

POSTED: 05-04-2007

Stetson University graduate Matt Deyo-Svendsen, 21, of Menomonie, Wis., has won first place in Habitat for Humanity International’s Youth Programs video-advocacy contest. The award, announced last week, is for a video he produced as a student to help increase awareness and support for Habitat’s endeavors, and includes a $1,000 scholarship for participation in a Habitat project.

Deyo-Svendsen, who graduated Saturday, May 5, with a double major in Math and Computer Science, has chosen to donate the scholarship money toward construction of a Habitat house in Egypt. He leaves for Africa on Thursday, May 10, to take part in a different Habitat program: a Habitat Global Village trip. He plans to help build houses in Ndola, Zambia, for a month, after which he plans to attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota.

The video features Deyo-Svendsen and fellow Stetson students and Stetson Habitat chapter members Dave Dowd and Kari Sapp building an “imaginary” Habitat house. The
video ends with an image of the team in front of a West Volusia Habitat for Humanity project site and a message asking viewers to support an increase in poverty-focused development assistance. The video will be used as an advocacy tool.

Deyo-Svendsen volunteered with Habitat for all four of his years at Stetson. “Habitat is great!” said Deyo-Svendsen. “Affordable housing needs can be addressed in any community, in any country.” Habitat also benefits youth, he said, by providing a means for college students – even those with no building experience -- to build houses for people who really need them. “Over the course of the semester, you really see the progress as a house comes together,” he said.

The video advocacy contest was part of Habitat’s “Act! Speak! Build! Week,” a national student-initiated advocacy program that focuses on education. Contest winners were chosen based on the number of hits their video received and feedback from Habitat judges.

“Habitat's 'Act! Speak! Build! Week' empowers young adults to educate their communities and address government officials about today's housing crisis,” said Desiree Adaway, Youth Programs director for Habitat for Humanity International. “We congratulate Matt on his award-winning advocacy video and applaud him for taking part in the fight to eliminate poverty housing.”

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in Americus, Ga., in 1976, Habitat has built more than 225,000 houses in nearly 100 countries, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1 million people. For more information, visit

Photo: Matt Deyo-Svendsen, top right, won the award for his 1 minute 30 second video showing construction of an imaginary house. A photo from the video is shown above left. To watch the video, check out Habitat for Humanity's Youth Programs page. Click on the Watch the winning Act! Speak! Build! Week film link on the right side of the page.