ϳԹ

Category: News

Music Facility, Hanson Hall, to Undergo Comprehensive Renovation

Completely updated interior, with re-configurations of practice rooms and faculty studios, as well as an impressive vaulted concept in Hanson Hall 23.

In May through December of 2017, ϳԹ’s beloved music facility, Hanson Hall, will undergo a comprehensive renovation, and re-open for the spring semester 2018.

In addition to a completely updated interior, with re-configurations of practice rooms and faculty studios, as well as an impressive vaulted concept in Hanson Hall 23 (soon to be Hanson Hall 202), the project will include three key features:

  • climate control,
  • acoustical treatment of all rooms,
  • and an elevator, creating 100% accessibility for our students, faculty, staff, and guests.

The lead architect, Bill Ketchum of Stantec, also led the design efforts for North Park’s Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, as well as for the new building project at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. He and his colleagues are bringing a breadth of expertise and creativity to the project. Carl Balsam, North Park’s Executive Vice President, is leading the project for the institution.

Craig Johnson, Dean of the School of Music, Art, and Theatre, states that the project will be a “huge boost for the music program, as well as recognition of the historical importance of music and the arts in the North Park community.”

In early spring 2018, a special event will take place to celebrate the Hanson re-opening.

Images by Stantec Architecture Inc.

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags

ϳԹ Hosts “You Be the Chemist” Local Challenge for Second Year

Students from Chicago Public Schools competed to qualify for the national challenge.

Students from Chicago Public Schools competed to qualify for the national challenge

CHICAGO, March 20, 2017 — For the second year in a row, ϳԹ hosted the Chicago Public Schools “You Be The Chemist” competition. Twenty-three schools from across Chicagoland competed for trophies and bragging rights. North Park’s own Dr. Jonathan Reinstra-Kiracofe facilitated the Quiz Bowl, with representatives from each school answering tough questions about chemical compounds and processes.

Allie Parker, Out-of-School Time Manager for Chicago Public Schools, was thrilled to partner with North Park: “I love the facilities and the fact that CPS kids visit such a beautiful campus.” This event gives North Park some insight into the future of cutting-edge discovery. “From what we can see the next generation of science rocks blue and green hair, isn’t afraid to get messy, and will go fearlessly where no adults have gone before,” commented Pamela Bozeman, North Park’s Senior Director of Career Development and Internships.

The You Be The Chemist Challenge® is an interactive academic contest that encourages students in grades 5-8 to explore chemistry concepts and their real-world applications. It provides the opportunity for CPS, North Park, and others to come together and show their support for STEM education.

North Park hosted a local challenge, which is a quiz bowl with several rounds of multiple choice questions. Students who score the highest will move on to the next level of competition with the top participant from each state advancing to the National Challenge in June.

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags ,

“Hope Has a Home Here” at ϳԹ

Hate has no home here. Hope has a home here.

ϳԹ held a candlelight vigil on the steps of Old Main on February 20, 2017.

President Parkyn welcomed students, faculty, staff, and the public to a candlelight vigil on February 20, 2017, called “Hope Has a Home Here.”  Held in response to the travel ban issued several weeks previously by President Trump, the vigil tapped into the movement “Hate Has No Home Here,” created by a North Park alumnus.

Candles were lit starting from the center candle, and the light moved through the crowd, each person giving light to the next. A series of litanies were performed by students and faculty, led by Professor Boaz Johnson and Student Body President Steve Smrt, with an audience response of “Hate has no home here” and “Hope has a home here.”

“We remember,” said Faith and Justice leader Jorie Dybcio, “our own immigrant origins, and the origin of ϳԹ as a Christian institution that, from the beginning of its existence, has sought to empower and give voice to all.”

“Hope has a home here!” the audience responded.

Dr. Helen Hudgens performed a rendition of “This Little Light of Mine” substituting some of the lyrics to reflect the current events, such as the DREAMers act, and calling out prominent political figures, letting them know that her light will continue to shine. This was followed by a multi-lingual reading—including in English, Spanish, German, Korean, Afrikaans—of Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV).

Although the night was windy, and multiple candles were blown out, there was always someone nearby to share their light. It characterized the attitude of those who attended: they were there to help re-light the candle that had been snuffed out in others’ lives.

“The Hope Candlelight Vigil was an attempt for us to follow the teaching and example of Christ, to love our neighbor—the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the Samaritan. . . . My hope and prayer is that we’ll continue to be a community which keeps doing this. In doing so, we will be more like Jesus, and truly a Christian community,” said Dr. Boaz Johnson.

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags , ,

ϳԹ Announces Chicago-Based Learning Program Catalyst 606_ _

The new curriculum redesigns the University’s weekly schedule to allow for faculty-guided excursions, starting fall 2017.

The new curriculum redesigns the University’s weekly schedule to allow for faculty-guided excursions, starting fall 2017.

What is Catalyst 606__?

CHICAGO (March 8, 2016) — Catalyst 606__ is North Park’s Chicago-based curriculum. Students learn outside the classroom, exploring the city during staff- and faculty-guided excursions.

Innovative. Off-Campus. Hands-on. Credit-earning.

The Catalyst programs at ϳԹ unite the city and students together in the form of civic engagement and exposure to current science and the arts. Dates and facts about the labor movement in a textbook become alive with visits to the historic Pullman Foundation; financial accounting becomes relevant in visits to the Loop’s financial district; economics becomes visible in a tour of manufacturing company; art and culture open eyes with attendance at operas and exhibits.

In addition, Catalyst 606__

  • is a Chicago-centered urban experience.
  • is intentionally intercultural.
  • offers hands-on learning.
  • provides cultural and educational experiences in the city.
  • blends theory and practice with applied academics.

On your Mark, Get Set, Go: Wednesday Afternoons

“Chicago is our classroom and all Chicagoans are our teachers” has been a long-standing North Park approach to learning. Starting fall 2017, Wednesday afternoons will be designated for exploring the city of Chicago. Students will have at least two opportunities per afternoon course to explore Chicago and enrich their learning across academic disciplines.

Catalyst 606__: Semester

For students who would like a more immersive experience beyond a Catalyst class, there’s the Catalyst 606__ Semester. Designed for students early in their undergraduate years, all classes for a full semester focus on the dynamic city of Chicago.

In a Catalyst 606__ Semester, students:

  • take classes together in a cohort setting.
  • share a common set of courses.
  • complete an assigned practicum experience with a local community-based organization to gain valuable work experience.
  • learn from the diverse fabric of the city through its residents, walking tours, museums, performances, and local dining.
  • investigate issues impacting urban areas.

During the semester, students will view the city through different lenses, disciplines, and perspectives, while they serve and participate in its flourishing. There is also the option to take other courses outside of the cohort to fulfill additional requirements specific to programs.

Apply for Catalyst 606__ Semester

Why Now?

A broad understanding of city infrastructure is essential as companies, government, and nonprofits prepare for a population shift to cities.

  • 66% of the world’s population will live and work in urban areas by 2050.*
  • Cities will grow by more than 2.5 billion people; most human population growth going forward will be urban.*
  • Hands-on learning experiences in the very environment where change is happening— this is a top priority and initiative for North Park.

What’s the Name All About?

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and each neighborhood has a unique story to tell. The “606__” represents the base of all Chicago zip codes. Every Wednesday, there’s the opportunity to fill in the last two digits, like the coordinates in an ethnographic map. Using these coordinates, students will learn from the city and contribute to community goals.

more about Catalyst 606__

*United Nations Report, World Urbanization Prospects

 

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags

North Park Receives Eighteenth-Century Eastern European Torah Scroll from Ken and Barbara Larson

The authentic Jewish Torah scroll was generously gifted to the University on February 9 during a dedication and celebration event in Anderson Chapel.

The authentic Jewish Torah was generously gifted during a February 9 dedication and celebration.

CHICAGO (February 22, 2017) — Ken and Barbara Larson are a warm couple who have been married for 52 years, having spent the past two in ministry gifting scrolls to Christian institutions. The Larson’s story centers around “saying yes to God.”

Mr. Larson, who is the founder of Slumberland Furniture, says that the couple had been told during a prayer meeting years earlier that they’d do ministry together. When they were invited by Josh McDowell—the Christian apologist—to Tajikistan to help with a program, they said “yes” to God, thinking that this could be their ministry together. Though that trip was canceled, they continued to say “yes” to God, landing them in South Korea with the apologist. There, McDowell shared about how he had recently purchased a Torah scroll and how it was the most impactful tool he’d experienced in more than 50 years of ministry. Not long after the trip to South Korea, the Larsons traveled to Israel with their family—35 members including children and grandchildren. When they returned to the States, they visited a seminary with Dr. Scott Carroll, an expert manuscript researcher.

There, Mr. Larson asked the Hebrew professors if they’d ever read from a Torah scroll. They all said that they’d never had the opportunity.

This was the turning point. Ken and Barbara looked at each other and knew that this was going to be their ministry together. As they had done so many times before, they said “yes” to God. They bought a collection of Torah scrolls and, since March of 2014, have given 32 to institutions around the world.

North Park is the 32nd recipient.

Barb Larson was happy to give the scroll to North Park because she’s a Chicagoan herself. “We feel right at home here.” She reminisced about her childhood, growing up living in an apartment on Montrose and Broadway. She attended Senn High School, which was, at the time, primarily Jewish. It was there that her love for Jewish people began. “It’s so thrilling to be back here and feel the energy that Chicagoland has.” Barb and Ken are most interested, though, in giving scrolls to institutions that have a respect for the word of God.

North Park—being Chicago-centered, intercultural, and rooted in faith—was a perfect match.

The Larsons have another special connection to North Park. “We love the Covenant church,” Barbara mentioned, because Ken attended Minnehaha Academy, a ministry affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Larson’s five children went to Minnehaha and now they have grandchildren there. One grandson even attended North Park. “So, we feel a deep connection to the Covenant church.”

North Park’s Office of Advancement and the Seminary expressed gratitude for the gift with an elaborate and inspiring ceremony, featuring a traditional Jewish Torah Service liturgy, including readings and cantillations.

Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson, professor of biblical and theological studies, and Skokie-based Rabbi Jeffrey Weill led the liturgy. Dr. Johnson sang the Shema before he and Rabbi Weill processed the scroll through the chapel. Dr. Johnson coached participants to, as the Torah passed them, touch their program to it and then kiss the program. This, he said, was an act of gratitude to God for his word.

Rabbi Weill lained the Torah text, the Song of the Sea.Laining is melodious chanting of the scripture portion. The rabbi commented upon the exceptional beauty of the ornate scroll. Dr. James Bruckner, professor of biblical interpretation, presented the ’r, an exposition of the text, in which he considered how the bones of Joseph were carried with the Israelites as a remembrance representing the story of God.

This, of course, is also true of the North Park-Larson scroll, a relic stewarded by God’s people as a remembrance of the story of God.

Seminary Dean Rev. Dr. David Kersten remarked that ϳԹ has a heritage of gathering around the text. Receiving the scroll, he emphasized, is a reminder of North Park’s “ongoing call to read the sacred text and to repair our own lives and to repair the world through the reading of the text.”

Dr. Kristine Strand, chair of the Board of Trustees, explained in a letter to the Larsons that ϳԹ is “an educational institution of deep Christian identity” and that it’s devoted to giving students opportunities to enrich their understanding of the Bible. The trustees are grateful that the North Park-Larson scroll will offer these opportunities for enrichment.

The scroll itself is decommissioned—no longer used in Jewish liturgical settings—and can now be used for exhibit, display, and teaching.It’s from the late 18th century with Ashkenazi origins, most likely from Poland. It has unusually beautiful orthography and unique decorative features adorning its letters. Dr. Carrol concluded that the scroll was a great labor of love for the scribe who produced it, and it was likely a point of pride for its original congregation.

It is now a point of pride for North Park, which is honored to be a part of this scroll’s rich history, a history that includes surviving the Holocaust.

The scroll will be housed in either the Brandel Library or the Seminary, kept within its handcrafted ark. The design of the ark—crafted by Dr. Johnson’s friend, Chris Olofson—was intended to be rugged to reflect the age of the scroll. It’s made of solid cypress, a wood indigenous to the Holy Land, and the vertical planking is intended to reflect the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The Ark is supported by a maple plywood laminate base in the favored style of modern Swedish furniture. This reflects the support of the Swedish community—from which North Park was founded—for the Jewish community.

Dr. David Parkyn, president of ϳԹ, expressed gratitude to the Larsons and closed the ceremony with a prayer noting that the study of the holy scriptures has been central to North Park since its founding 125 years ago. The gift, he said, marks the school’s new level of commitment to the scriptures.

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags ,

ϳԹ Named a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Students

Recognized for the third time, North Park has current Fulbright students in Macedonia, Mexico, and Peru.

Recognized for the third time, North Park has current Fulbright students in Macedonia, Mexico, and Peru.

CHICAGO (February 21, 2017) — ϳԹ, Chicago’s intercultural, Christian university, has been named a for the third year. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2016–2017 Fulbright U.S. Students. North Park was named alongside two other Illinois institutions, University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Three students from ϳԹ won Fulbright awards for 2016-2017: Katie Bast, Bethany Joseph, and Elizabeth Wallace. .

North Park also has four semi-finalists for the 2017–2018 academic year, who are awaiting their final status from the respective countries.

“I am so very proud of our students and our Fulbright Committee,” said Dr. Linda Parkyn, professor of Spanish, who spearheads North Park’s efforts around Fulbright awards, serving as mentor and encourager to student applicants. She has been a Fulbright Scholar and twice a Fulbright Senior Specialist, and readily admits to having “Fulbrightis.” Good candidates, Dr. Parkyn says, have stellar grades, a keen interest in some other part of the world, involvement with immigrants and/or refugees at home, and knowledge of another language. “Fulbright is a prestigious award,” says Dr. Parkyn. “But to have this experience early in your life, to give back your first year out of college and become an American ambassador sharing language and culture, it will affect your career choices for the rest of your life—and affect change for good in our world!”

Dr. Linda Parkyn expressed deep pride and joy over the honor of North Park being named a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Students three times. Since 2008, the school has produced 19 Fulbright Student awards and leads its category—Master’s Institution— in Fulbright Student award winners.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 370,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists, and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world. Lists of Fulbright recipients are available at .

The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.

In the United States, the Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach foreign languages.

The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach foreign languages.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit .

ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY

ϳԹ is Chicago’s intercultural, Christian University.

To learn more about North Park visit .

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags , , ,

A Message from the Board of Trustees

A Message from Board Chair Dr. Kristine Strand and ECC President Gary Walter.

A Message from Board Chair Dr. Kristine Strand and ECC President Gary Walter

Dr. David Parkyn, president of ϳԹ since 2006, has announced his retirement to follow the completion of this 2016–17 academic year. ϳԹ is the university of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC).

“With gratitude and respect, the Board of Trustees congratulates Dr. Parkyn on the success of ϳԹ during his 11 years as President. The Board wishes to express our heartfelt thanks for his service and leadership to North Park,” commented Kristine Strand, chair of the Board of Trustees for the University.

President David L. ParkynDuring President Parkyn’s tenure, North Park saw advances on many fronts. Dr. Parkyn presided over Campaign North Park, the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history raising over $63 million in financial commitments which resulted in the completion of the state of the art G. Timothy and Nancy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life. Under his direction, ϳԹ has been recognized for its leadership in “first family member to college” student enrollment and retention, as well as the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the student body. Further, nineteen students have received Fulbright awards, making North Park “a top producer” of Fulbright recipients.

“The Board of Trustees also expresses deep appreciation to Dr. Linda Parkyn, Professor of Spanish, who capably led North Park’s Honors Congress,” Dr. Strand continued. “Her leadership of the program was instrumental in the development of Fulbright award winners to date.”

In a letter to the campus community, President Parkyn wrote, “The past 11 years at ϳԹ have been personally and professionally fulfilling for both Linda and me. We have come to deeply love this institution as well as its students, faculty, and staff. Together we have made good (perhaps on occasion even great!) strides toward important objectives. Now is a good time for someone else to step into leadership and guide the school into the coming years.”

The ϳԹ Board of Trustees will announce interim leadership for the university following its meetings, February 17–18. Also, the Board looks forward to leading the process to identify a nominee for the next university president who will guide the North Park community in its aspiration to be the nation’s leading city-centered Christian university. The candidate will be called formally to the position by the Covenant Annual Meeting anticipated in June 2018.

Plans will be announced for an appreciation event for the Parkyns later this spring.

Gary Walter, President of the ECC, stated that “President Parkyn’s ethos is for the flourishing of each student. It has been his driving hope that at ϳԹ students would know that each of their lives makes a difference. ϳԹ’s mission as an intentionally Christian university, is to prepare students for lives of significance and service. Dr. Parkyn has given himself unreservedly to that aim.”

“We wish President and Dr. Linda Parkyn the very best in their retirement as they look forward to more time with family and other pursuits,” said Dr. Strand.

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags , ,

Lilly Endowment Awards $750,000 Grant to ϳԹ

Pastors receive financial management and leadership training through School of Business and Nonprofit Management, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, and the Seminary.

Pastors receive financial management and leadership training through School of Business and Nonprofit Management, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, and the Seminary.

Published by PR Newswire

CHICAGO (February 14, 2017) — Lilly Endowment’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders awarded ϳԹ with a $750,000 grant to provide specialized curriculum and programming geared for pastors and church leaders. To lead financially strong congregations, pastoral leaders need to be well versed in accounting, finance, human resources, and operations. As such, the seasoned educators from ϳԹ’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM) and the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (Axelson Center) will work with North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) to readily offer pastors financial management and leadership training.

North Park joins other higher education grant recipients Northwestern, Villanova, and Seton Hall universities, as well as magazine and online publication Christianity Today. Rev. Dr. David Kersten, dean of North Park Theological Seminary and vice president of church relations remarks, “I hope this national effort will form a closer relationship between business schools and seminaries.”

With North Park’s existing dual master degree program in seminary and business, the University is well-positioned to provide immediate instruction to pastoral leaders. In courses from both the business and nonprofit management school and seminary, students acquire the business skills they need to run financially strong congregations, in conjunction with their calling to serve the church.

Coursework includes language and content unique to churches, pastors, and church leadership. Several flexible learning options featuring the dual focus in business and church leadership, include:

  • Master’s degree in church administration
  • Doctoral degree in Church leadership
  • Joint MDiv and MBA or MNA programs (dual degree program in seminary and business/nonprofit management)
  • School of Business and Nonprofit Management five-course certificate program in
    • Church administration
    • Human resource management
    • Nonprofit financial management
    • Nonprofit marketing analysis and consumer behavior
    • Principles of church administration
    • Nonprofit board governance and volunteer management

Non-credit options include:

  • Custom-designed workshops for specific organizations and/or groups
  • Annual conference
  • BootCamp and workshops

“We encourage pastors and lay leaders to consider our offerings as they are further developed over the coming three-year period. We will offer a continuum of educational opportunities, both credit and non-credit, to strengthen financial and leadership capacity,” says Wesley E. Lindahl, North Park’s Dean of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management.

Resources at ϳԹ: School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM), North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS), and the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (Axelson Center)

Another resource within SBNM is the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (Axelson Center). Founded in 1999, the Axelson Center offers expertise in teaching a wide range of management and leadership topics on a non-credit basis. That expertise has often been directed towards faith-based nonprofit organizations and will be joined with that of SBNM and NPTS to ensure the provision of a wide range of opportunities for faith leaders through this new initiative supported by the Lilly Endowment.

Scholarships Available

In concert with North Park’s philosophy of offering access to quality higher education, participants are eligible to receive 50 percent scholarships towards certificates and custom workshops.

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags ,

GRAMMY-Nominated Gospel Singer and Chicago-Based Artists to Perform at ϳԹ

ϳԹ celebrates Black History Month with series of concerts, poetry readings, lectures, and art exhibits

ϳԹ celebrates Black History Month with series of concerts, poetry readings, lectures, and art exhibits

Published in PR Newswire

CHICAGO (February 2, 2017) — ϳԹ, Chicago’s urban, intercultural, Christian university, is hosting events centered around the ultimate question of the human experience. Surrounding the campus theme, What is Beauty?, are a variety of events which are open to the public and run February 3 through April 5 on North Park’s campus in Chicago.

North Park invites the community to experience these expressions of words, songs, and art, while recognizing Black History Month with performances by GRAMMY-nominated gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds and poet Jackie Perry.

Featured Events

Beauty, Identity, and Social Change
Friday, February 10, 10:30 am
Isaacsson Chapel

Dr. Reggie Williams, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics, McCormick Seminary speaking on how the revolution in conventions of beauty were integral to the social changes that occurred in the Harlem Renaissance.

Free admission.

Beauty in Diversity Concert
Saturday, February 11, 7:30 pm
Anderson Chapel

Performance by GRAMMY-nominated gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds headlines this concert sponsored by the Office of Diversity. Poet Jackie Perry will also perform along with other artists and musicians from across Chicago.

Tickets are $20 (discounted for North Park students and faculty).
All proceeds go to North Park’s Office of Diversity.
Purchase tickets online.

 

Beauties Sacred and Secular: Aretha Franklin and Gospel Music
Wednesday, April 5, 3:30 pm
Anderson Chapel

Aaron Cohen, author of Amazing Grace, explores the making of Aretha Franklin’s double platinum 1972 gospel album Amazing Grace. This event includes a Gospel Choir concert.

Free admission.

CAMPUS THEME EVENTS

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags

Dr. Mary Trujillo, Conflict Transformation Professor, Honored with MLKJ Award

New award recognizes leader in restorative justice

New award recognizes leader in restorative justice

CHICAGO (January 26, 2017) — At ϳԹ’s January 16 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, called “The Movement Continues,” Dr. Mary Trujillo was honored with the University’s inaugural MLKJ Award.

Dr. Trujillo says she’s “deeply honored to have my work mentioned in the same sentence with Dr. Martin Luther King,” as she’s been greatly influenced by the work, life, and teachings of Dr. King.

Dr. Trujillo is a communication arts professor, focusing on intercultural communication and conflict transformation. Preparing students to examine the idea of community in the context of urban, religious, and international conflict, she’s committed to restorative justice and nonviolence. She teaches students to identify their own approaches to conflict transformation and to apply their strategies to bring peace to Chicago.

“I pray that Dr. King’s commitment to social justice will always be the standard to which North Park aspires,” she added.

The honoree, who has been at ϳԹ since 2002, is currently training to become a certified Kingian nonviolence trainer and practitioner. In 2014, she was selected to attend the James Lawson Institute, where she studied nonviolence with Rev. Lawson, a strategist for Martin Luther King Jr. and leader of desegregation sit-ins in Nashville during the civil rights movement.

Jacqueline Strapp C’08 created the MLKJ Award shortly after joining the staff in fall 2016 to lead the Office of Diversity. She says that she wanted to highlight people on campus and recognize those who are doing exceptional work in the area of restorative justice and racial reconciliation.

Also at the event, Rev. Neichelle Guidry offered a keynote address that reclaimed the prominent role of women in the civil rights movement. Recording artist Corey Barksdale brought inspiration with two songs, and film director and alumna Tanika Carpenter delivered a call to hope after sharing a preview of her documentary film, Farewell Obama.

ϳԹ’s Office of Diversity seeks to sustain a campus community that appreciates diversity and embraces differences as well as similarities. It maintains a climate that values diversity through programming, outreach, and support for all members.

More on the Office of Diversity

Posted on Categories News, StoriesTags , , ,