When Assistant Vice President for Civic Engagement Rich Kohng began his tenure at North Park, he recognized that North Park students needed a primer on engaging with their new home city. His solution? The Catalyst program and the new Center for Civic Engagement (CCE).
What sparked the idea for Catalyst?
While I was working in University Ministries, our staff noticed that— because students come to North Park from all over the world—some have an immediate impulse to change Chicago when they arrive. While that comes from a sincere place, many students approached that impulse without listening to local leaders of color who were already working to drive change across the city. Catalyst addresses this by providing face-to-face opportunities for students to learn and converse with these leaders. Through these events, students can understand the unique problems that arise while pursuing social impact and learn how to follow local leaders.
How did the program give way to the Center for Civic Engagement?
We’ve always viewed Catalyst as a means to a greater end. Now that we’ve learned from local leaders, it’s important we honor their work. The CCE is possible because of the support from staff who found opportunities to partner; faculty who utilized Catalyst courses; and students who showed up for Catalyst on Campus events, participated in Crux and Catalyst Semester cohorts, and volunteered for student leadership boards. Adding the new public policy major and the Community Assets and Program Evaluation Consortium allows us to build on the success of Catalyst and bolster efforts to assist community leaders.
What are some of your favorite Catalyst programs?
A mural walk in Pilsen led by a community leader and the “Toxic Tour” with Little Village Environmental Justice Organization highlight the profound contributions of immigrant communities in the city. Another favorite is a session with the former executive minister of the Love Mercy Do Justice Mission Priority of the Evangelical Covenant Church, Debbie Blue MA ’96. Blue leads a session in Bronzeville that interweaves her personal story with the community in which she grew up. The session ends at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, where Mamie Till-Mobley held the open-casket funeral for her 14-year-old son, Emmet Till. The funeral moved countless people to advocate for civil rights, and Blue has inspired many North Park students to consider how they can pursue change wherever they are.