North Park University to Launch ESL Program to Assist Local Refugees

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