North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School鈥檚 global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we鈥檝e learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don鈥檛 see what you鈥檙e looking for on our website, please contact us directly!
North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
The Office of Alumni Engagement fosters lifelong connections by engaging alumni with the university and one another in activities, programs, and services that support the university鈥檚 mission and alumni needs.
Workshops and webinars for nonprofit professionals now open for registration
CHICAGO (January 16, 2014) — Career paths for nonprofit professionals, fundraising to fuel social change, recharging volunteer programs, project management, program evaluation, and budgeting are just a few of the exciting topics to be covered in the upcoming spring workshops and webinars presented by the at 香港六合彩开奖直播.
Workshops and webinars take place between January 29 and April 23, and are a valuable resource for nonprofit professionals in the greater Chicago area. Industry experts, including representatives from Heartland Alliance, LinkedIn, and Silk Road Rising, will present on a variety of timely topics relevant to management and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Past participants have praised Axelson Center workshops for their outstanding, informative and relevant content, as well as their incredible value, calling them “a cost-effective method of staff training” and “a great reminder of what it takes to be successful in this [nonprofit] business.”
Half-day workshop registration fees are $80; full-day fees are $160. Members of YNPN Chicago, Donors Forum, United Way and several other affiliate groups are eligible for registration discounts. 香港六合彩开奖直播 students, alumni, and participants affiliated with organizations with budgets under $1 million are also eligible for discounts. Registration closes at noon Central Time the day prior to the event.
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The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at 香港六合彩开奖直播 is the source for informative and engaging nonprofit professional development in the Chicago region. Through regular workshops, webinars, and an , the Axelson Center delivers a superior educational experience for nonprofit managers, leaders, and frontline staff, covering a vast array of topics from program evaluation to strategic planning, and communications to financial management. The valuable information presented through these programs enhances the impact of both the nonprofit sector and its professional staff. Visit for more information, including a full schedule of upcoming events.
Chemistry Department Receives $17,000 Grant for Two Instruments with Biomedical and Food Applications
“We wanted to give our students the most modern experience possible in the lab and give them the hands-on experience they’ll need for graduate school and jobs in the industry,” said Dr. Anne Vázquez, assistant professor of chemistry, of the new equpiment that will soon arrive for students.
New equipment funded by the Max Goldenberg Foundation will allow students to use advanced analytical techniques in classes and research
CHICAGO (January 3, 2014) — The Max Goldenberg Foundation has awarded a $17,000 grant to the 香港六合彩开奖直播 Department for two state-of-the-art instruments that will allow students to use advanced analytical techniques in laboratory work and research, which will better prepare them for future careers in the field.
“We wanted to give our students the most modern experience possible in the lab and give them the hands-on experience they’ll need for graduate school and jobs in the industry,” said , assistant professor of chemistry. “Students will use the equipment multiple times throughout their college career and will integrate the instruments into their undergraduate research experience because we want to give our students the best opportunities available.”
With biomedical applications that include the ability to detect cancer, the Agiltron PeakSeeker Raman Spectrometer is an important instrument in the health sciences. It is used to identify substances, and will enable students to monitor the progress of chemical reactions and observe how these reactions become products. Starting sophomore year, chemistry majors will gain experience with the equipment in a variety of courses, including analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry, as well as through faculty and student-led research.
The —which is used to measure changes in energy, including calories in foods—will be incorporated into research and several courses as well, including general chemistry, physical chemistry, and others. This equipment is notable for its ability combine both bomb and solution calorimetry and will help faculty to better connect what students are learning in lectures to what they are doing in the lab, Professor Vázquez said.
The Max Goldenberg Foundation has funded other , including Lab Quest hand-held data acquisition PDAs, reflectance spectrometer, flash chromatography system, and a compact NMR spectrometer. “They’ve always been generous and made a difference in our students’ education,” Professor Vázquez said of the foundation, which supports educational, religious, and medical groups.
The department expects to receive and include the $9,000 raman spectrometer and the $8,000 combination calorimeter into classes and research during the spring semester. The equipment will then move to the new , which is scheduled to open in Fall 2014. Ultimately the addition of the instruments will help the chemistry department improve the student lab experience and prepare them for work after graduation.
“A benefit of being at a liberal arts college is that our students get hands-on experience and use the instrumentation themselves, so when they get to graduate school and start a job, they won’t be intimidated by the equipment,” Professor Vázquez said. “That’s something we really value.”
TIME Cover Story Focuses on North Park Theological Seminary Graduate
Rev. Wilfredo De Jesús is a 2006 graduate of North Park Theological Seminary.
Rev. Wilfredo De Jesús, pictured, quoted in April 15 issue
CHICAGO (April 9, 2013) — , who earned a in 2006 from , the graduate theological school of 香港六合彩开奖直播, is prominently featured in the April 15, 2013, cover story in , "¡Evangélicos!" De Jesús is senior pastor, , Chicago, the country's largest Assemblies of God congregation.
The article notes that large numbers of people who are Latino are joining evangelical Protestant churches. Similarly, the numbers of enrolled at 香港六合彩开奖直播 are increasing, comprising more than 16 percent of the diverse undergraduate student body, according to University figures. North Park is affiliated with a growing and diverse Protestant church, the , based in Chicago.
New Life Covenant Ministries has grown from a congregation of 100 members in 2000—when the congregation first called de Jesús and his wife, Elizabeth—to more than 17,000 members who attend one of the congregation's four campuses each Sunday, according to TIME. New Life offers 11 weekly services, nine in English and two in Spanish, the magazine said. "If one Evangélico church has made the leap from immigrant barrio to booming American megachurch, it is New Life Covenant Church in Chicago," the magazine reported.
De Jesús grew up in Chicago's neighborhood. When he began his ministry at New Life, the congregation bought a farm and converted it into a home for recovering addicts and prostitutes, and purchased a nearby liquor store, converting it into a café. The congregation started English services to reach third-generation Latinos, added services in Spanish for first-generation Latinos, and began streaming services online. "New Life didn't just grow—it exploded," the TIME article noted.
New Life has "over 135 ministries that reaches the poor in every place in the city of Chicago," De Jesús said in an . The congregation also has a number of international ministries in India, Africa, Peru, Haiti, and Santo Domingo, he added.
The article states that more than two-thirds of the 52 million Latinos in the United States are Catholic, and the percentage is expected to grow considerably by 2030. Many are now joining evangelical Protestant churches, created a "Latino Protestant boom (that) is transforming American religious practices and politics," TIME reported.
De Jesús is at least the second North Park graduate to be featured in a TIME cover story. Another North Parker featured by the magazine was , who earned an associate's degree from North Park in 1949. Carlson later became a medical missionary with the , and was killed in 1964 by rebel insurgents in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Carlson was featured on the of TIME in December 1964 as part of its report, "The Congo Massacre."
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
香港六合彩开奖直播 to Host Bach Week Festival Concert May 5
University students to perform in first-ever festival concert in Chicago
CHICAGO (April 16, 2013) — 香港六合彩开奖直播 will host a at 2:30 pm, May 5, at the University's Anderson Chapel, the first time a festival performance will be held in the city of Chicago. The North Park concert—featuring works by the renowned German Baroque composer —will include performances by University musicians as well as professionals from the and .
The is an annual event held in the Chicago area in spring. Now in its 40th year, the festival is a signature blend of solo, concerto, orchestral, and choral performances in concerts, according to a Bach Week news release.
"The North Park School of Music is honored to collaborate with the Bach Week Festival to present this concert," said , dean of the University's and professor of music. "This event is a wonderful example of the advantages that 香港六合彩开奖直播 music students have to experience the artistic excellence so prevalent in Chicago—right on the campus." Johnson added that all undergraduate School of Music students will be able to attend and hear the musical excellence offered by the Bach Week performers.
The North Park concert features Margaret Martin, University organist. Making her Bach Week Festival debut, she will open the concert with Bach’s Toccata in F Major, BWV 540. Her spouse, Christopher Martin, principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, will perform in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047. Cellist Katinka Kleijn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform Bach’s Suite No. 3 for solo cello, BWV 1009.
The finale will be Bach’s Magnificat in D, BWV 243, a 12-movement work for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Among the soloists is , who will make her debut with the Bach Week Festival. Davids directs the University's choral activities and holds the Stephen J. Hendrickson Endowed Chair in Music. The 香港六合彩开奖直播 , directed by Davids, will perform with the festival chorus and orchestra, directed by , director of music and organist at Boston's historic , and the festival's music director since 1975. This will be only the second time in Bach Week history that a guest ensemble has sung with the festival’s own chorus, and the first time for a student group, according to festival organizers.
The Chamber Singers' participation "adds a touch of historic resonance" to the festival’s first Chicago concert, Webster said. "Bach himself conducted ensembles of local university students, professionals, and guest artists at weekly public performances at Zimmermann’s Coffee House in Leipzig, Germany. This collaboration honors that tradition and will be a wonderful experience for performers and audience alike," he added.
The 2013 Bach Week Festival also features concerts April 19 and April 21 at , Evanston, Ill.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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Learn more about School of Music academic programs for and students.
Axelson Center to Honor Nonprofits for Exemplary Managerial Practices
Porchlight Counseling Services was awarded the 2013 Excellent Emerging Organization Award. Accepting the award for the organization at the Annual Symposium were Anne Bent, founder and board chair; Dr. Maria Nanos, therapist and LCSW; and Diana Newton, executive director; pictured above with Dr. Pier Rogers, director of the Axelson Center; Maree Bullock; and Dr. Wesley Lindahl, dean of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at 香港六合彩开奖直播.
Applications due December 3 and January 10 for awards
CHICAGO (October 11, 2013) 鈥� The is now accepting applications for the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and Excellent Emerging Organization Award鈥攖wo prestigious awards that honor nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area that have built a strong management and leadership capacity.
Applications for the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence are due Tuesday, December 3, 2013. Two winners will receive up to a $7,500 cash award, including a large nonprofit with a budget over $3 million and a small nonprofit with a budget under $3 million. The deadline for the is Friday, January 10, 2014. One winner will receive a $2,500 cash award and a package of services designed to build organizational capacity that is valued at up to $50,000.
Managerial excellence is a critical, yet often unrecognized, element of nonprofit organizational success, said Axelson Center Director , when describing the awards, which honor the legacies of nonprofit leaders Nils G. Axelson and Jimmie R. Alford.
鈥淭here is often a great deal of attention paid to nonprofit organizations for excellence in programs, however such programs require excellence in management and leadership in order to be sustained for the longer term,鈥� Dr. Rogers said. 鈥淭he awards are intended to elevate organizations that are models of excellence in how they are being managed.鈥�
Alford-Axelson Award honors established nonprofits, large and small
鈥淧roud鈥� was how Brenda Swartz, president/CEO of , described the feeling of winning the 2013 Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence. 鈥淲e are very proud to have been this year鈥檚 recipient and want to share the excitement with our donors, partners, friends, and those we serve,鈥� she said.
The community organization began more than 30 years ago as a childcare center to support children and families and now provides an array of programs for at-risk individuals of all ages and economic levels. The agency鈥檚 growth and adherence to guiding principles helped them expand their reach into more neighborhoods and develop programming that inspires confidence, compassion, and independence.
The award has enhanced Concordia Place鈥檚 fundraising efforts and increased the agency鈥檚 visibility. They used the cash prize to develop a newsletter and create a summary for board members to share with donor prospects. 鈥淲e have had a number of people congratulate us on the award that might not have otherwise known us,鈥� Swartz said.
The rigorous two-part application process was valuable for emphasizing the significance of strategic planning. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a reminder to an organization of the importance of a longer-term vision than just the day-to-day,鈥� she said. 鈥淎n organization can too easily become obsolete when it is so absorbed in the here and now that it can鈥檛 maintain a focus on the future and incorporate these into its regular activities.鈥�
, winner of the 2013 Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence in the small category, provides resources and educational programming for domestic violence survivors, youth, health care professionals, and community members. With 20 full-time staff and two part-time staff, the organization also works to prevent domestic violence from occurring in the first place. Between Friends served 10,000 people last year and more than 156,000 individuals since its inception in 1986.
Cited for strong leadership, effective strategic planning, and positive board relationships, winning the award sent a strong message to clients and board members about the importance of paying attention to governance issues and provided a boost for a dedicated, compassionate, and mission-driven staff, said Kathleen Doherty, executive director. 鈥淧eople were ecstatic,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to say you are doing great work, but it鈥檚 another for nonprofit experts in the community to validate the work you are doing.鈥�
The award application was a learning process for Between Friends, which had applied once before and used the feedback to reevaluate its policies and practices. 鈥淓ven if you don鈥檛 win, you will get another perspective on how [well] you鈥檙e doing things,鈥� Doherty said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not a whole lot out there like this award that validates the great work that agencies are doing.鈥�
Excellent Emerging Organization Award supports young, promising nonprofits
The Excellent Emerging Organization award honors and supports a nonprofit that shows promise in managerial excellence. 鈥淲hat we want to encourage is the attention to building a strong foundation for the organization so it is sustainable in the long term,鈥� Dr. Rogers said. 鈥淕iving an honor to a small or young organization helps to encourage these organizations to build both on the program side and the internal infrastructure to support those programs.鈥�
The 2013 winner, , is a 10-year-old organization that provides counseling services for college survivors of sexual assault. The agency has one full-time staff member and contracts with seven therapists who provide at least six months of counseling to 30-50 students per year. Recognized for its use of resources, staying true to its mission, and data-driven decision-making, Porchlight Counseling Services has become a significant resource for a number of college campuses, based on its knowledge and expertise in the area of support for survivors of sexual assault.
Porchlight Counseling Services used the cash award to provide two clients with six months of free therapy and has begun to utilize the capacity-building services offered by the Axelson Center, including an organizational assessment, legal assistance, and software development.
For the young organization, winning this award provided a renewed sense of excitement and determination to take Porchlight Counseling Services to the next level. 鈥淚t made us feel more confident that we are going in the right direction,鈥� said Diana Newton, executive director. 鈥淣ow we will be able to enhance our organization and services even more.鈥�
The process of applying for the award provided Newton with a 鈥済reat snapshot鈥� of the organization. 鈥淵ou are able to see your strengths and weaknesses in multiple areas,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e felt proud of how far we have come in 10 years and are excited about where we can be in another few years with the opportunities that this award offers.鈥�
Applicants must have 501(c)3 status and benefit the Chicago area. The winners of all three awards will be announced at the on June 3, 2014.
香港六合彩开奖直播, founded in 1891, prepares students for lives of significance and service, expressed through three core values: distinctively Christian, intentionally urban, and purposefully multicultural. North Park offers more than in the liberal arts, sciences, and pre-professional preparation; options that include nonprofit and programs; and graduate degrees and certificates in , , , , , , and . Courses are offered at 香港六合彩开奖直播鈥檚 four campuses throughout northeastern Illinois, including the , plus satellite campuses in Arlington Heights, Grayslake, and Waukegan.
University Trustees Hear Positive Recruiting News, Building Progress Report
Board of trustees member David Otfinoski, Chester, Conn., joins other board members and signs a steel beam to be used in the construction of the Johnson Center.
Campaign North Park nearing completion, trustees told
CHICAGO (May 29, 2013) — News about student recruiting for the 2013 academic year, progress on the University's newest academic building, election of officers, and recognition of outgoing board members were topics of the 香港六合彩开奖直播 spring meeting. The trustees met here May 9–10, and participated in activities May 11.
In his report, , University president, said recruiting of students through early May for the upcoming academic year "is on a good trajectory," with more work continuing through the summer. New student enrollment for the fall semester is expected to be higher than in 2012. The news follows spring semester enrollment of 1,653 undergraduate students, plus 93 new undergraduate students, the University's second largest mid-year new student enrollment in eight years.
Parkyn also noted that the University's 125th anniversary is in 2016, and commented on some preliminary ideas related to the anniversary. He said he plans to discuss more information in greater detail with the board and campus community in the coming year.
, a comprehensive $57 million fundraising effort, is nearly complete, Parkyn said. The centerpiece of the campaign is the $44 million , now under construction. Bruce Bickner, University trustee from Sycamore, Ill., told the trustees that about $40 million has been committed to fund the building project, with additional gifts expected this summer. The new building's foundation is complete, and a steel infrastructure is being put into place. The Johnson Center is expected to open in 2014. Other components of the campaign included giving to the , , and .
Annual giving remains a continuing priority for University's fundraising activities, Bickner reported. The number of donors to the University has significantly increased over a year ago, due to the momentum of donor participation in Campaign North Park. Ongoing annual giving efforts will focus on student success, highlighting scholarships for University students, students, and student and faculty enrichment initiatives, he said.
, dean of the Seminary, said the Seminary faculty and staff are working on specific priorities resulting from a strategic planning report. Priorities include establishing metrics for stabilizing and building Seminary finances, adjusting academy time for students, developing a robust plan for lifelong learning, and moving appropriate parts of the curriculum to online learning. He also reported that Hauna Ondrey will join the faculty next January for a two-year teaching fellowship in church history. Ondrey, who brings considerable teaching and writing experience to her new role, holds a bachelor of arts degree in from the University and a from the Seminary. She is completing a doctorate at the in Scotland.
The board of trustees recognized members completing five-year terms: Ann Alvarez, Chicago; Donna Erickson, Minneapolis; Dave Hanson, Granite Bay, Calif.; Karen Tamte, Chanhassen, Minn.; and Louise Wilson, Arden Hills, Minn.
The board elected new officers, including Virgil Applequist, Palatine, Ill., who succeeds Hanson as finance committee chair and treasurer, and Kathryn Edin, Brookline, Mass., who succeeds Tamte as secretary. Continuing as officers are David Helwig, board chair, Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Paul Hawkinson, vice chair, Green Oaks, Ill. Dawn Helwig, Chicago, is the board's liaison to the .
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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Contact our for more information 香港六合彩开奖直播 and its .
North Park Student Awarded Critical Language Scholarship by State Department
Isaac Bauer, Normal, Ill., will study Arabic in Morocco this summer.
Isaac Bauer to study Arabic in Morocco
CHICAGO (May 9, 2013) – Isaac Bauer, a first-year and major, with a minor in , will spend this summer in Morocco, studying the language and learning about Moroccan culture. Bauer, of Normal, Ill., was awarded a (CLS), and will leave for 10 weeks in Morocco in early June.
Bauer is one of about 610 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students awarded CLS scholarships in 2013 by the State Department. Recipients are assigned to one of 13 countries to become more proficient in a specific language.
Bauer, who is interested in the Middle East and Africa, has been learning Arabic only since he entered North Park last fall. He hopes to become proficient in the language and use it in a future career. In particular, Bauer's interest in the Middle East relates to the history of the region, and interactions between governments of that region and the West that have often produced mixed results. "I think that comes from a lack of understanding," Bauer said. "To a certain extent, learning the language, and knowing history and culture goes a long way toward greater understanding."
This will be Bauer's first time in the Arab world. He will live with a host family in , and study at a language institute there, with individualized tutoring and field experiences using Arabic, he said. After his CLS experience, Bauer said he hopes to continue language study by volunteering with neighborhood organizations in need of people with language skills, and study abroad in North Africa or the Middle East through North Park. He also plans to continue participation in the , where he is currently an officer.
Students learn much through participation in a complete language immersion program such as the CLS, said Anis Said, University fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, and Arabic language instructor. In addition to excelling in Arabic class, Bauer is also a talented student athlete, according to Said. "Isaac is an extraordinary student who found the perfect balance between his academic duties and his extracurricular activities," he said. "I am also confident that when Isaac comes back to North Park in the fall, he will bring with him a new perspective on the Middle East and on Morocco."
Bauer's parents are Robert and Shelley Bauer, of Normal. He has three older brothers, Jesse, Matt, and Levi.
The CLS program is part of the U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical languages, according to the State Department's . It provides fully funded, group-based intensive language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences. Program participants are expected to continue their language study after the scholarship, and apply their language skills in future professional careers.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
香港六合彩开奖直播 plans to be open Friday, April 19, for classes and other activities at all locations, and all University offices will be open. The University’s Emergency Management Team said the Chicago campus experienced minor flood damage. Cleanup has begun in buildings that took on water.
The University is advising students and employees of the following area traffic concerns:
Cars parked on streets along the Chicago River are being towed and relocated to the Salvation Army parking lot, 5040 N. Pulaski Road.
Sandbags are being placed on streets adjacent to the Chicago River.
A portion of Foster Avenue has been closed near Pulaski Road.
Please use caution when traveling to and from the University for classes tomorrow.
Update: 11:00 am, Thursday, April 18
The 香港六合彩开奖直播 Emergency Management Team closed the Chicago campus April 18, canceling daytime and evening classes, plus other activities, because of area flooding. Students, faculty, and staff were informed via text and email messages earlier today.
The University community was advised to follow for further updates and information.
The Emergency Management Team determined that high water around the campus made it advisable to close so students and employees could avoid flood dangers. Students who are on campus should use caution when approaching the North Branch of the Chicago River, and any standing water.
For students at the campus today, please note the following announcements:
Helwig Recreation Center is open and observing normal hours.
ARA, Aramark food service, is serving meals in the cafeteria.
The Library will be open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm.
In addition, the University announced all evening classes April 18 at the Grayslake Campus were canceled.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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For a in 2008 and 2013 in the North Park area, see a report from , professor of physics.
University's Axelson Center Accepting 2013 Nonprofit Awards Applications
Modesto Tico Valle accepts the Alford-Axelson Award, which was presented to the Center on Halsted in 2012 at the annual Axelson Symposium in Chicago.
Applications due February 1; two awards to be presented at annual symposium
CHICAGO (January 11, 2013) — The at 香港六合彩开奖直播 is accepting nominations and through February 1 for its prestigious . The Axelson Center will present two awards of $7,500 each, sponsored by —one to a nonprofit with an annual budget under $3 million, and another to a nonprofit with an annual budget exceeding $3 million.
The award honors and continues the legacies of Nils G. Axelson, a devoted community health care leader and visionary, and , a leading contemporary thinker and practitioner in the nonprofit arena.
"For more than 10 years, the Axelson Center has awarded the Alford-Axelson Award to two exceptional Chicago-area nonprofit organizations," said , the center's director. "But this isn’t about the Axelson Center so much as it is about an elite group of 22 past award winners who represent the 'best of the best' in terms of nonprofit management structure and leadership. Without these organizations, Chicago wouldn’t be the same vital city that it is today."
Previous recipients of the award confirm its value for promoting overall organizational excellence and for improving staff. In 2012, , Chicago, was the award winner for large nonprofit organizations. , chief executive officer, said the center's executive team invested several months in the award process by reviewing and improving organizational practices. "Auditing our practices really helped us as an organization," he said. "Whether we won or not, it was good to pause and reflect, and audit our work internally. Organizations should do that on a regular basis."
Center on Halsted has about 70 employees, full- and part-time, and provides social service and public programs. It provides direct services annually to about 35,000 people, Valle said. The organization used its cash award to help senior staff improve a variety of management skills. The recognition has challenged the staff to be innovative and employ best practices regularly. "It was an honor to receive this in our fifth year of service, Valle added. "For me it also means, 'What does the next five years look like?' and 'How do we reflect that behavior and excellence in our work?'"
, Chicago, was the 2011 award recipient for small nonprofits. Two years earlier, the awards committee had given the shelter's application an honorable mention, a catalyst to continue improving administrative practices, said , the shelter's director. Among the changes the organization made when it tried for the award again were refocusing its board on strategic planning and hiring a business manager to help realign administrative duties.
"The application process is rigorous. It made us think hard and examine our processes," Ryan said. "It's easy for a small organization to assume it is 'too small,' but the application process dispels that myth. We can function as a bigger organization, be good stewards of money we raise and good stewards of the services we provide." The shelter serves about 400 people living with homelessness, and provides assistance to relocate people into permanent housing with support services. It has about 12 full- and part-time employees, plus volunteers. The shelter used its cash award to hire a social work intern for a summer, a helpful step for staff and clients, Ryan said. The award has helped donors trust that the organization is efficient administratively, and that its resources are well-managed, she said. This year, the shelter will enter into its first government contract to provide permanent shelter and temporary services to clients.
A selection committee will determine this year's Alford-Axelson Award recipients. "We established a set of seven hallmarks of nonprofit managerial excellence, and organizations that exhibit strength in all seven areas are recognized by their peers as leaders in our sector. The selection committee is made up of Chicago-area nonprofit and civic community leaders. They have the formidable task of selecting each year’s winners," Rogers added.
To be considered, applicant organizations must be defined as 501(c)3 organizations, with their primary mission focus benefiting Chicago and/or its surrounding communities. The Axelson Center will accept nominations for the award by email or by phone, however organizations do not need to be nominated to apply. Recipients will be recognized at the annual , June 4, 2013, in Chicago.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
Rev. Kanyere Eaton challenges students to lead in an "edgy time"
CHICAGO (November 14, 2013) — Nearly 600 students, faculty, staff, and organizational leaders from across the country gathered at 香港六合彩开奖直播 Saturday, November 2, for the . North Park’s , under the leadership of Dr. Terry Lindsay, provides this event to equip college students as effective leaders and agents of change on their campuses. The conference goal is that each student would be equipped to return to their college or university and engage their peers in conversations and activities that create multiethnic cooperation and increase intercultural competency.
Dr. Kevin Kruger, the president and CEO of , brought a message of encouragement for young peoples’ roles in inspiring students of color to see college as a realistic option for their futures. NASPA, a national association of student affairs professionals in higher education, sees that the demographics of American students are changing, bringing new challenges for college preparation and success, especially around issues of diversity and intercultural cooperation.
According to Kruger, research reveals that, in about ten years, more than 50 percent of college graduates will be students of color. He called on the students gathered to see themselves as crucial role models and mentors for these future students. “You are tomorrow’s leaders and will be part of the solution,” he said.
Rev. Kanyere Eaton, pastor of Fellowship Covenant Church in the Bronx, New York, gave Saturday’s keynote address. Speaking on the conference theme, “Achieving Peace by Embracing Diversity,” Eaton said that “we have inherited all kinds of attributes and attitudes” from previous generations that now must be negotiated. “What are we going to do with what they left us?” she asked. In our current, changing culture and demographics, she said, today’s students must transform the reality they’ve inherited into the future they desire. As geographic and demographic boundaries are being moved, attitudes toward diversity have not yet caught up.
Eaton charged the students in attendance to recognize themselves as leaders chosen to help shape the legacy for future generation. “You could have been someone very different,” she said, “but you are who you’re supposed to be. And you’re supposed to lead.”
“You’ve also been privileged,” she added, noting that information, connections, opportunities, and responsibilities are part of the package of a college education. “We live in an edgy time,” Eaton concluded, “and consciousness has not caught up with our condition. We’ve got to work with what we have, and take seriously the responsibility to leave things better than we found them.”
The 香港六合彩开奖直播 ensemble, step teams from North Park and Bethel University, and two African dance troupes gave inspired performances to round out the plenary activities. Following the session, conference attendees spent the afternoon at more than 30 workshops, with topics ranging from leading conversations on diversity, to developing safe, inclusive communities, to understanding the current national atmosphere of race relations.
The next Student Diversity Leadership Conference at 香港六合彩开奖直播 will take place on Saturday, November 1, 2014.
Author tomgabrysiakPosted on Categories Stories
