Celebrate and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Monday, January 19 in Aurora. Besides the over 175 Hands-On exhibits to explore, SciTech sets up Creation Stations which blend the arts and sciences in a MLK theme for world peace. We will be forming a collage of “Hands” to form a brotherhood, creating peace doves and tie-dying a Peace Quilt just to name a few projects. We also will present a short children’s play called “The Crayon Box That Talked” which follows the theme of the Brotherhood of Man.
SciTech is also one of the sites where our local High School students can volunteer for the day as part of their “Day of Service”. All in all a wonderful day to explore and imagine the possibilities of World Peace.
MLK CELEBERATION FEATURES HERO OF THE YEAR FOR PEOPLE MAGAZINE
Educational leader and Northwestern University professor, Tim King, will headline Aurora’s 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Waubonsie Valley High School, 2950 Ogden Ave.
Named by People Magazine as “Hero of the Year” and by ABC World News as “Person of the Week,” King will speak to this year’s theme – Advancing the Mission through Perseverance – by sharing his experiences with empowering youth to dream big and achieve excellence as Founder/CEO of Chicago’s Urban Prep Academies. 100% of Urban Prep graduates have been admitted to four-year colleges and universities.
The annual celebration will also feature the Waubonsie Valley HS Jazz Band, West Aurora HS Madrigal Singers, East Aurora HS NJRTOC, Metea Valley HS Choir, students from the Illinois Math and Science Academy and a presentation by InterFaith Aurora.
Mayor Tom Weisner will present the 2015 Service Above Self Awards to Aurora students who have been nominated by their schools for their selfless service in the community. In addition, residents who performed community service activities during the annual MLK Day of Service will be recognized for their dedication as well.
At 5:15 p.m., a special pre-event session for students will feature alumni of Urban Prep Academy who will share advice about success in high school and college. Students and parents who are interested in this pre-event do not need to register and should arrive at Waubonsie Valley High School by 5 p.m.
VOLUNTEER IN AURORA ON MLK DAY
The MLK Day of Service also takes place on January 19 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Aurora residents, with an emphasis on high school students, can volunteer to serve at many locations throughout the city, including the Aurora Public Library, Countryside Care Center, Elmwood Nursing Home, Farnsworth Rehabilitation, Heartland Blood Center, Hesed House, Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, McCauley Manor, Mutual Ground and Sci-Tech Museum. To volunteer at any of the locations, participants must register for a time slot at: http://dayofservice.seamlessdocs.com/f/mlkday.
The 2015 Aurora MLK Celebration is co-sponsored by the Aurora MLK Planning Committee and the City of Aurora.
OTHER MLK EVENTS IN AURORA:
- The Voices for Excellence Community Choir will host its annual MLK Service on Sunday, January 18 at 6:30 pm at Main Baptist Church, 814 E. Galena Blvd. The choir will perform tributes to Dr. King. The event is free and open to the public.
