CHICAGO, July 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- North Park
University (NPU) this fall will begin its ESL Teaching Cares
program to provide childcare and English classes to refugees who
have recently arrived in the Albany Park area.
The program is a joint effort between NPU's University
Ministries and Community Outreach and Global Partnerships, along
with the Southeast Asia Center and the Chicago Immigrant and
Refugee Rights Committee.
The services will be provided primarily to refugees living in
the former U.S. Marine Corps facility on Foster Avenue, which the
City of Chicago purchased last
fall for $1.5 million and converted
into a migrant shelter.
NPU students will serve as childcare providers or English
tutors, under the leadership of Ben
Swihart, coordinator of Community Outreach and Global
Partnerships, and NPU student intern Davianna Schuh.
"The ESL Teaching Cares program overall promotes the care and
advancement of underserved populations in our community,
working alongside organizations that have been doing this work for
decades," Schuh said. "Opportunities like this have been proven to
increase graduation rates, diversify students' perspectives, and
increase professional credentials for North
Park students."
NPU has previously provided resources to the immigrant families,
hosting a food and clothing drive last December. More than 60
volunteers, comprising North Parkers and representatives from the
North Park Community Association, Alderman Samantha Nugent's office, Aramark, and other
community groups, collected and distributed clothing, blankets, and
supplies to 225 families.
North Park University is
city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for
Christian higher education in 21st century America.
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SOURCE North Park University