CHICAGO, IL (October 31, 2007) \u2013 Three major events on the campus of North Park University over the weekend demonstrated the school\u2019s commitment to building relationships with the children of its neighborhood and teenagers across the country.<\/p>\n
On Friday, 1,200 low-income students from a neighboring elementary school cheered on a Danish gymnastics team in the North Park University gymnasium. On Saturday, 75 at-risk, inner-city children were thrilled to meet the Viking football team (accompanying photo) and \u201chang out\u201d on the campus. Throughout the weekend, 30 high school students of color attending Evangelical Covenant Churches from across the country traveled to the school to further develop their passion for leadership.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/74\/2011\/08\/Vikings.jpg\" "\\"Vikings\\"")
The gymnastics event was scheduled when the team, which was performing at a ticketed event on Friday night, asked the school for the name of a local organization or school for whom it could perform during the day, says Charles Peterson, dean of academic affairs. Administrators immediately thought of Hibbard Elementary School, located just south of the university.<\/p>\n
North Park has developed a close relationship with the K-6 school – 95 percent of its students live below the poverty level and most speak English as a second language. Student teachers do a lot of work at the school, and volunteers from North Park volunteer at a lunch reading program.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the school could not host the event because its gym was being painted, so the school offered its own. Rita Olsen, curriculum and reading coordinator at Hibbard, says she could hardly believe it when the university invited all 1,200 students.<\/p>\n
Watching the gymnasts will provide a lot of lessons for the students, says Olsen. She added that all of the students participate in basic gymnastics at one point in the school year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can see what happens when you work hard,\u201d Olsen said. All of the students were expected to write about their experience on Monday to further add to the educational component of the field trip.<\/p>\n
Having the students on the campus also could have long-term implications for the students, Olsen added, explaining, \u201cIt\u2019s never too early to put the idea of going to college in their minds.\u201d<\/p>\n
University Ministry\u2019s Urban Outreach program also hosted 75 at-risk inner-city children from the Cabrini Green housing project for the second annual Viking Kids Day. North Park students already had formed relationships with the children by participating weekly in a tutoring program.<\/p>\n
The students chaperoned the children throughout the day as they ate pizza and played on the campus. The children also attended the football game and flashed huge smiles as they received footballs, tee shirts and autographs from the players.<\/p>\n
University Ministries also hosted 30 students of color from Covenant churches for the first-ever Vive Conference. The students came from as close as Chicago and as far away as Hawaii, says director Rich Johnson.<\/p>\n
Campus pastor Judy Howard Peterson and Harvey Carey, pastor of Citadel of Faith Covenant Church in Detroit, Michigan, challenged the students to become future leaders.\u00a0 The event gave the students the opportunity to experience multicultural music and worship, two college preparatory workshops and a trip to downtown Chicago. The university paid for the students\u2019 expenses.<\/p>\n
Mark Olson, dean of enrollment and director of church relations, says he hopes the weekend will better connect the school with the ethnic and multiethnic congregations the students attend. \u201cCurrently, we are very under-represented in our student body by these churches,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n