HEART Building Futures is a public/private partnership. It is an authentic hands-on learning experience for high school students to achieve their goals of attaining a high school diploma, while transforming Dubuque’s most blighted neighborhood back into a livable, walkable community for working families. Students in HEART Building Futures spend part of their day in the classroom and part of their day on a home restoration site where they work with a 3 to 1 student/staff ratio, learn basics of construction, soft skills, critical thinking skills, and are connected to post high school education, training opportunities, or employment.