Last summer, Marielle Meurice interned at Evanston’s CarePoint, a nonprofit organization that works with marginalized populations like the homeless and the mentally ill.
The Weinberg junior worked from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day in case management at CarePoint, 113 Custer Ave., talking to individuals and directing them to different resources in Chicago.
“It’s really important for students to get out into the community and not just be in the Northwestern bubble,” Meurice said. “It’s good to be in the real world and not just college life.”
Other Evanston organizations are seeking the assistance of college students during the summer, too.
Youth Organizations Umbrella, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to Evanston’s youth, recruits NU students to help staff their summer programs for elementary school, middle school and high school students, said Tonya Patterson, the organization’s director of human resources and information technology.
During the school year, Y.O.U., 1027 Sherman Ave., relies heavily on the assistance of college students, many of whom go home when school ends, Patterson added.
“We have a great need for volunteers over the summer,” she said. “Sometimes you have a job or do some volunteer work and you can’t quite see how you’re making a difference. Here, the impact of your gift of time is so apparent, and people feel really gratified by that experience.”
Aquatic opportunities like sailing and kayaking also abound during the summer. The Evanston Recreation Division offers private sailing classes and group sailing classes on Dempster Street Beach, Recreation Program Manager Adam Abajian said.
“A lot of people see this place in winter, and it’s quite different in the summer,” Abajian said. “When you go out and do a kayak or sailing lesson, you really are seeing nature in a small vessel on a very big lake. It can be quite an experience.”
Besides being outdoors, sailing provides a good core workout, while kayaking promotes upper body strength, Abajian said.
“These are unpowered vessels, and they’re challenging,” he said. “You can feel the adrenaline rush.”
Students can also exercise by attending dance classes, such as Zumba and belly dancing, held at Evanston’s Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave. Zumba has especially become popular with the younger crowd, said Karen Hawk, the center’s program manager.
“The classes are a lot more fun than taking a Pilates class where you’re laying on the ground and not doing a whole lot of moving around,” Hawk said. “There are a lot of fun, different types of music.”
This summer, Meurice will travel to Uganda on a grant from NU’s Global Health department to study women’s health. She said she is looking forward to the experience but will miss being in Evanston.
“There’s a lot of concerts going on this summer I wanted to go see, and almost all my friends are living here, but I’m really excited to go to Uganda,” she said.
