A chance encounter at a caf茅 in Chicago鈥檚 Englewood neighborhood brought Catalyst Program Director Rich Kohng and My Block, My Hood, My City founder Jahamal Cole together. Kohng鈥檚 and Cole鈥檚 shared commitment to community and serving the city in which we live was a natural connection and resulted in Kohng inviting Cole to speak at a Catalyst event last September.
Meeting Cole couldn鈥檛 have been more serendipitous, as this year鈥檚 Catalyst theme is 鈥淗ome,鈥� says Kohng.
鈥淗ome signifies familiarity, a sense of rootedness and a call to connectedness鈥� adds Ernie Jefferson, the AmeriCorps VISTA Catalyst on Campus Coordinator. 鈥淚n designating home as our theme, we hope to inspire conversation around multifaceted questions, such as, 鈥楬ow do our neighborhoods foster a sense of home?, Whom do we choose to welcome into our home?鈥� and 鈥榃hat kind of home do you envision 萝莉社 to be?鈥欌�� says Jefferson.
Similarly, 鈥淢y Block, My Hood, My City鈥� serves as an anchoring theme for Cole鈥檚 public speaking engagements. Cole, a youth mentor and author, advocates for community organizing and building a more interconnected Chicago. Already a fan of North Park, Cole says he wants to 鈥渇ly with students, transfer his knowledge, and build community together.鈥�
President Mary K. Surridge supports Catalyst鈥檚 and Cole鈥檚 mission to serve the city.
鈥淚t鈥檚 programs like today鈥檚 that are best for our students and distinguish us,鈥� says President Surridge. 鈥淕od鈥檚 place is right in the city and gives us motive to deepen opportunities for all the ways we鈥檙e going to serve.鈥�
Catalyst and community partners like Cole, along with representatives from the Student Government Association, help to empower the student body and enhance North Park鈥檚 commitment to the flourishing of our city.