Fundraiser to benefit resource center for North Central College education students

Community members are invited to join an evening of bowling, networking, fun and fundraising to support a valuable resource for North Central College education students.

The annual Snow Bowl to benefit the Dr. Lora L. Tyson Education Curriculum Resource Center will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Brunswick Zone XL, 1515 W. Aurora Ave., Naperville. Cost is $30/person; a portion of the cost will directly benefit the Resource Center. To register, contact Tara Sokol in North Central’s education department at 630-637-5740 or tcsokol@noctrl.edu; registration closes Jan. 31.

The evening will feature bowling, a billiards tournament, complimentary soft drinks, cash bar, giveaways, raffles and opportunities to visit with North Central students, alumni, faculty and friends. Silent auction participants can bid on North Central College memorabilia, entertainment packages, dining gift certificates, educational resource packages, professional sports packages and spa and comfort packages. Contributions to the silent auction will support the purchase of an interactive Smart Board, hands-on materials, new literature and visual aids for the Tyson Resource Center in the College’s Oesterle Library.

Tyson was a popular and influential member of North Central’s education faculty from 1999 until her death in 2008 from cancer. She envisioned a place where students could gather to plan lessons, create materials to use in those lessons, and utilize a variety of resources. Her vision became a reality when North Central established the Tyson Resource Center after her death.

The Tyson Resource Center provides work space to conduct research, share teaching ideas, plan lessons and access teaching tools, materials and interactive technologies. “It’s become a valuable resource for education students and a place where people gather to share ideas and experiences,” says Sheryl Finkle, North Central professor of education. More than 420 North Central alumni work as educators at schools in Naperville and throughout six counties in the Chicago area.

On Jan. 24, prior to the Snow Bowl, the North Central College community will gather for a chapel service in memory of Tyson. An annual event, the service will take place from 12:10 to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Koten Chapel at Kiekhofer Hall, 329 E. School St. Renowned calligrapher Timothy Botts, whose work Tyson admired and is displayed in the Center, will demonstrate his art and create a work of art from the lyrics of an African-American spiritual. A light lunch will follow the service. For more information contact Sokol at 630-637-5740.