Chicago Mayor's Office Lauds North Park University's Catalyst 606_

CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Wednesday afternoons, North Park University students leave campus and explore and engage in career opportunities across Chicago as part of the school’s Catalyst 606__ program. During these faculty-guided excursions, students spend the day immersing themselves in city-based cultural organizations, corporations, and non-profits, where they gain real-world career experience and make connections to professionals.

Afterward, students meet to discuss their experiences, and how they applied what they learned in the classroom to actual workplace situations.

Students in North Park’s Catalyst 606__ program leave campus once a week to explore the many career opportunities available in Chicago.
The Catalyst 606__ program places students directly in work environments, where students apply classroom lessons to potential careers.
Students learn to pursue careers that foster lives of significance and service through vocational and civic engagement.

“We find much to celebrate in North Park University’s Catalyst 606 program,” said Vance Henry, Chief of Faith-Based Partnerships and Initiatives in the Chicago Mayor’s Office. “It’s a dynamic example of how we can partner together to educate, cooperate, and create better cities for all.”

As part of Catalyst 606__, students develop valuable, in-demand problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The program’s name refers to Chicago’s 606 Zip Codes, and implies that there are no borders separating North Park students from the city’s neighborhoods.

The program engages students from all majors. For instance, while art students tour mural installations in Pilsen, science students might study anatomy at a downtown hospital’s brain bank. Experiential learning courses offered on-campus further the innovative curriculum, with students attending lectures on urban-themed topics, use Geocaching and GPS technology, and review documentaries about issues such as teen homelessness in Chicago.

North Park’s Provost, Dr. Michael Emerson, has worked alongside a dedicated faculty and staff so that graduates will be, “both career and life ready, prepared to perform in their jobs and contribute as citizens on day one in the workforce.”

ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY
North Park University is a city-centered, intercultural, and Christian university located in Chicago.