University of Illinois at Chicago
01/06/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/06/2025 16:59
Honor MLK’s legacy with service, leadership
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UIC will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in two ways this year: with a day of service in the community Jan. 20 and a student leadership conference Jan. 25 aimed at shaping future social justice leaders.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 20, is a holiday for UIC faculty, staff and students, and there will be no classes. On the MLK Day of Service, UIC students, faculty and staff can spend the day helping others in the Chicago community. Participants will help with projects such as cleaning and organizing at Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church, sorting donations for people experiencing homelessness and assisting with a winter coat drive.
Student Leadership and Civic Engagement organizes the event, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 20.
UIC volunteers head into the community for a day of service in January 2023. This year's MLK Day of Service will be held Jan. 20. (Photo: UIC Creative and Digital Services)
"I hope participants are able to build and flex their community-engagement muscle so that it not only becomes a yearly habit on MLK Day, but a monthly, if not daily, habit to serve others," said Rae Joyce Baguilat, director of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. "On previous days of service, I have seen participants not only feel like they did something good, but that they learned a new skill or even something new about the city of Chicago and its community."
Parrama Chouhan, a graduate assistant in Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, said he hopes participants will "deepen their understanding of Dr. King's vision for equity and service through action."
Later in the week, students can participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Leadership Conference: Dreams of Justice.
Students can sign up to participate in the conference, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Student Center East Tower.
During the conference, student leaders will discuss the themes of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and they will consider the tools and skills needed to move toward a more just future.
The conference is hosted by Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, the Center for Student Involvement, New Student and Family Programs, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Commuter and Off-Campus Life and the Commuter Student Resource Center.
For more information, email [email protected].