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Idealist Campus Conference: Community Tours
Idealist Campus Conference: Community Tours

Community Tours are an optional Thursday afternoon activity coordinated through the Steans Center for Community-Based Service-Learning at DePaul. Participants will gain a deeper sense of the history and dynamics of our fascinating host city by exploring some of Chicago's most interesting neighborhoods, visiting local organizations, and meeting with community leaders.

The community tours will take place from noon to 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 22. Please note that this event is taking place before the official start of the conference, so you will need to arrive a day early in order to participate.

There will be five separate tours, each led by staff members from DePaul's Steans Center, in the following neighborhoods.

Humboldt Park and Paseo Boriqua
Hosted by Division Street Business Association
Paseo Boricua: The historic, cultural, social, economic, and political heart of Chicago's Puerto Rican community. Come hear the oral history of the development of one of Chicago's great ethnic enclaves. See the many shops, restaurants and attractions that line Division Street now known as Paseo Boricua [pa-sa-0; bo-ree-qwa]. Highlighted by the two world's largest monuments to any flag in the world, Paseo Boricua brings a small piece of Puerto Rico to Chicago. Paseo Boricua: Culture, Food, Style, El Barrio!!!

Devon Ave
Hosted by The Indo-American Center
After the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act abolished national origins quotas and granted visas to persons with special skills, professionals fluent in English because of the British colonial heritage in India responded with enthusiasm to U. S. recruitment. In the 1970's sari shops, grocery stores, and Indian restaurants opened on Devon to offer some of the comforts of "home." By the mid 1980's, relatives sponsored under family reunification arrived with limited skills and English fluency. Many chose to live in the Devon area where they could work in ethnic shops and small businesses. By 1990, one in twelve residents of the area was of Indian origin.

The Indo-American Center is a not-for-profit community service organization established in 1990 in response to needs in the Asian Indian immigrant community. Its mission is to promote the well being of South Asian Americans through services and programs that facilitate their adjustment, integration and friendship with the wider society, nurture their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their culture and heritage.

Uptown/Edgewater/Rogers Park
Hosted by Dev Corp North

Since its settlement by the Potawatomi and other Native American tribes, Rogers Park's beautiful setting and natural resources have attracted residents from around the world. The community's namesake, Philip M. Rogers, purchased 1,600 acres from the U.S. government and settled here in 1834. The area remained mostly rural until the Chicago Fire of 1871. Today, Rogers Park is home to people from all corners of the world and all walks of life. It continues, as it has for generations, to be a welcoming, diverse community with easy access to the opportunities and excitement of bustling downtown Chicago.


Bronzeville
Hosted by The Black Metropolis Project of DePaul University
Urban Renewal or Gentrification? The birthplace of the Chicago Defender, Gospel music and home of the urban blues, Bronzeville's historic significance weighs heavily in the city of Chicago. Once known as the 'Black Belt' of Chicago, Bronzeville has undergone massive economic and demographic change in the last century. Legal segregation and overcrowded housing led to the construction of public housing developments, which in turn quickly experienced disinvestment from the city. Driving down property values through the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, Bronzeville has seen a recent surge in investment due to the destruction of these same public housing developments. With this 'revival' two-thirds of public housing residents have been forced out of the neighborhood. The study of Bronzeville is important for people interested in urban politics, poverty, race, class and power.

Pilsen
Hosted by The Resurrection Project
Pilsen's core area is bounded by 16th Street to the north, the curving Chicago River to the east and south, and Western Avenue to the west. Pilsen has served as a port of entry for many immigrant groups that have come to Chicago seeking work and a better life: Germans at the turn of the century, followed by immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Bohemia, and others. During the 1950s, Mexican families began to move into the neighborhood. This trend accelerated in the 1960s, when Latinos became the major ethnic group.

The tours will utilize public transportation which will allow participants to see more of the city and its people. A 1-day transportation day pass costs $5. You can purchase 1-day and 7-day passes at the airport or around the city. You should also bring about $10-20 to purchase lunch, or for any shopping you choose to do in the community you visit.

To participate in one of these tours please RSVP to Billie Drakeford at BDRAKEFO@depaul.edu, and include the following information:

  • Which tour you would like to attend, as well as a second choice in case the first choice fills up (each tour will be capped at 15 participants).
  • Emergency contact information
  • A cell phone number, if available.
  • Email address where you can be contacted before you arrive in Chicago.
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