Aquí en Chicago / Chicago History Museum
Invitation: University-Wide Visit to Aquí en Chicago
Friday, March 27 | 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Chicago History Museum
The Northeastern Illinois University community is invited to join a university-wide visit to the Aquí en Chicago exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. This trip is organized by the Council on the Status of Latinés and the Angelina Pedroso Center, with the support of President Bell-Jordan, and is open to all NEIU community members—students, staff, faculty and administrators across all campuses.
As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, this visit aligns with NEIU’s commitment to belonging, asset-based learning, and student success, as well as the Seal of Excelencia’s emphasis on culturally responsive practice and institutional effectiveness. For employees, the exhibit offers a meaningful professional learning opportunity that deepens understanding of the lived histories and resilience of Chicago’s Latiné communities—the largest segment of our student population.
The visit offers all students across our campuses an experiential learning and community-building opportunity that brings Chicago’s Latiné histories into conversation with the present moment. Engaging the exhibit invites students to learn from the lived experiences, cultural knowledge, and resilience of Latiné communities as part of Chicago’s ongoing story—not as something distant or abstract, but as something shaping our city, our classrooms, and our shared future.
For many students, the exhibit will feel familiar and affirming; for others, it offers an opportunity to listen, learn, and deepen understanding. The visit intentionally centers Latiné students not as observers, but as knowledge-holders whose experiences, insights, and histories matter. In a challenging political climate, showing up together communicates care, belonging, and recognition—and affirms that these stories are essential to who we are as a University community. Ultimately, this shared experience is a concrete expression of solidarity, collective care, and our shared responsibility to honor one another’s humanity.
In alignment with NEIU’s identity as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, this shared experience reflects our commitment to belonging, collective strength, and student success—recognizing that learning is deepest when we care for one another and honor the knowledge students bring with them.
Buses will leave the north campus at 9:00 a.m. and return by 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Details about departure from other campuses will follow.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to museum capacity, this event is limited to 320 participants. To support equitable participation across NEIU’s Main Campus, El Centro, and CCICS, registration will be managed proportionally. If interest exceeds capacity, we will implement a transparent prioritization process that centers student access while ensuring broad campus representation.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to:
Dr. Isaura Pulido, Professor & Special Assistant to the President for HSI Affairs, i-pulido1@neiu.edu
Danny Cortez, Associate Director of Latinx Student Engagement, Angelina Pedroso Center, d-cortez1@neiu.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
This visit is supported through institutional funding. Museum entrance and lunch are free for all NEIU students and employees.
Yes. Due to museum capacity, participation is capped at 320 attendees. However, transportation is limited to 7 charter buses (308 seats). This works because some participants have requested to meet us there.
All participants — including those who plan to meet us at the museum — must register in advance, as the 320 cap applies to total museum entry. Additionally, lunch is budgeted for the museum’s full capacity to allow flexibility and prevent shortages
Yes. Participants may choose to:
- Take the chartered bus from designated campus pickup locations, or
- Travel independently and meet the group at the museum. Chicago History Museum Directions, Parking, and Transit Options
**Important: Even if you plan to travel independently, you must register in advance due to the 320-person museum capacity.
All participants must arrive at the museum by 10:00 a.m. for the opening session. This ensures full participation in the shared institutional learning experience.
Participants who choose to travel independently may leave earlier than the charter bus departure time if necessary. However, because this visit is part of a university-wide initiative, we ask that all participants complete a brief end-of-day reflection prompt for institutional assessment. The prompt will be available on-site that day.
- Morning Session: Welcome, exhibit overview, and present guiding questions to participants as they explore Aquí en Chicago.
- Explore Aquí en Chicago before and/or after lunch.
- Additional exhibits also available for exploration: Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art in the 1960s-70s, and Chicago: Crossroads of America.
- Button-making station (optional for participants)
- Segmented lunch schedule: Participants will be assigned to one of the following:
- First break: 11:30 a.m. – Noon
- Second break: Noon – 12:30 p.m.
- Third break: 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
- Afternoon closing session: Participants are strongly encouraged to remain for the closing session and complete the brief end-of-day reflection survey, centered on the guiding questions they received during the morning session.
Our goal is to center student access while ensuring broad institutional representation. If interest exceeds available seats, we will prioritize:
- Students
- Balanced representation across Main Campus, El Centro, and CCICS
- Role diversity (students, faculty, staff, administrators)
Because this is a university-wide institutional learning experience aligned with NEIU’s HSI commitments, we are intentionally managing participation to ensure meaningful representation across Main Campus, El Centro, and CCICS.
In the absence of enrollment or employee data across campuses, the event organizers will hold 40 seats for El Centro and 40 seats for CCICS (80 total = ~26% of 308 transportation seats) through March 6; on March 7, all remaining seats will be opened to participants from all campuses. This approach avoids structural crowd-out while allowing for full open access prior to the event date.
Please select the campus that best reflects your primary institutional affiliation (where you are primarily enrolled or assigned). This helps us manage equitable representation across campuses.
For logistical questions, please contact: Dr. Isaura Pulido, Professor and Special Assistant to the President for HSI Affairs at I-Pulido1@neiu.edu or Danny Cortez, Associate Director of Latinx Student Engagement, Angelina Pedroso Center at D-Cortez1@neiu.edu.