Crime, prostitution, violence and poor living conditions.

Those are just some of the concerns several students will have on their minds as they begin their service learning projects this month.

Eight Marquette students from Thomas Jablonsky’s “Comparative Urbanization” and Janet Boles’ “Urban Public Policy” classes are contributing to Project Unity, a neighborhood renewal plan devised by the aldermen and community groups of Milwaukee’s 8th and 12th districts, where such issues are rampant.

At a press conference Thursday, 8th district Ald. Robert Donovan introduced the project, which will “bring together law enforcement, community- and faith-based organizations and community partners … to effect change in a targeted area on Milwaukee’s near south side,” he said.

Over the next nine months, volunteers and several law enforcement and neighborhood groups will clean the neighborhood, crack down on crime and “address the needs of every individual living in this targeted area,” Donovan said. “At the end of nine months we hope and we will see some fabulous improvement in this targeted area.”

Significant factors in the creation of the project were direct involvement from members of the community and a single goal, both of which were absent in other, previous attempts to improve the neighborhood.

“There have been many different (individual) efforts in the past,” said 12th district Ald. Angel Sanchez. Now “there’s a united effort (and) an objective that everyone can agree to.”

The students are participating in the project through the Milwaukee Alliance, an organization in the district which assists community service groups. They will help in the first phase of Project Unity, which is to conduct door-to-door surveys and photograph every house in the neighborhood.

“The involvement of Marquette is a strong one,” Donovan said. “Students will be working with us … and outreach as to the needs in this community.”

Senior Angie Gius said she has developed “a passion for the near south side of Milwaukee” since working on Project Unity.

“Project Unity can have an incredible impact if the community really takes ownership of these ideas,” Gius said. “Instead of having outside forces enter to ‘help,’ organizations and individuals who have roots in this area are working to empower the residents to improve their neighborhood.

“It gives me a lot of hope to see people who aren’t getting caught up in the bureaucracy and politics that can make us so cynical. This is about getting people together to make a real change.”

The students’ role in Project Unity also reflects positively on the school, said John Kovari, the Milwaukee Alliance’s deputy director.

“Marquette’s involvement is evidence of the school’s strong volunteerism,” Kovari said. “We want this to be a positive experience for the students, and we want the students to be impressed” by Milwaukee’s environment.

Hopes are also high that by the time Project Unity runs its course, the citizens in the neighborhood will have learned how to maintain the improvements and will continue developing their community, as well as set an example for other troubled areas.

“If we can effect change here then we can effect change anywhere,” Donovan said. “There’s no reason why this couldn’t be duplicated” in other parts of the city.