Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) has reaffirmed its commitment to community development through the implementation of the 2026 Thematic Community Service Program (KKN Tematik). A total of 327 students officially participated in the program's orientation and deployment, which was conducted online on Monday (July 20, 2026). The students will carry out community service activities in villages across Purworejo Regency until August 31, 2026.
This year's KKN Tematik carries the theme, "Strengthening Family Welfare through Healthy Housing Education, Improving Household Health, and the Validation and Verification of Decent Housing in Purworejo Regency." Through this initiative, students are expected to make meaningful contributions to local communities while supporting the regional government's efforts to promote healthy and livable housing environments.
The students will be assigned to villages across the sub-districts of Bagelen, Banyuurip, Bayan, Kutoarjo, Ngombol, Purwodadi, Purworejo, Loano, Gebang, Grabag, Kemiri, and Bener. For more than a month, they will collaborate with village administrations and local residents to implement community empowerment programs designed to address local needs.
During the orientation session, the Head of UMPWR's Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Dr. Heru Kurniawan, M.Pd., explained that this year's KKN Tematik focuses on two main activities. The first is conducting surveys and validating data on substandard housing as part of an accurate data collection process. The second is implementing community empowerment programs through a series of group-based educational and social outreach activities.
He also emphasized the importance of following proper survey procedures in the field. Students will conduct house-to-house visits in pairs to ensure that the data collection process is more effective, comfortable, and secure.
"The data collected must be accurate because it will serve as the basis for the verification of decent housing. Therefore, students must work carefully, maintain ethical conduct when interacting with residents, and establish good communication throughout their community service activities," said Heru.
As part of the orientation, students also received technical training on conducting surveys using the SIMPERUM application, covering account activation, housing data collection, data validation and submission, as well as the implementation of community empowerment programs. They were also reminded to maintain the confidentiality of all data collected during the survey process in accordance with applicable regulations.
In his remarks, Rector of UMPWR, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teguh Wibowo, M.Pd., stated that KKN serves as a learning platform where academic knowledge meets the real needs of society. According to him, the success of the program is measured not only by the completion of planned activities but also by the positive impact experienced by the community.
"Thematic Community Service is an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have gained in the classroom through meaningful community engagement. Uphold the good name of Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo, build positive communication with the community, and carry out every program with dedication and responsibility. I hope your presence will benefit the community and become part of the solution to the challenges they face," the Rector said.
Through the 2026 Thematic Community Service Program, UMPWR hopes that students will not only gain valuable learning experiences in the community but also create sustainable impacts through collaboration with the regional government, village administrations, and local communities in fostering family welfare and promoting healthy, decent living environments. (akb/KP)
