Past Events
Human Library®
This event hosted in partnership by the City, the Naperville Public Library and Naper Pride featured people with diverse life experiences serving as human books to be “checked out” for conversation. Created by a Denmark-based nonprofit, the Human Library® concept is to create a safe platform for personal conversations that can help to challenge prejudice and discrimination, prevent conflicts, and contribute to greater cohesion across social, religious and ethnic divisions.
Participants listen to the experiences of a Human Library speaker at the April 2024 event. Photo by Geneace Williams.
(To view a text-only webpage with the below flyer information, please click here.)
Coming Together to Lead Well: A Community Conversation
The City of Naperville and North Central College co-hosted “Coming Together to Lead Well: A Community Conversation” in honor of Women's History Month, on March 23, 2024, in the Madden Theatre on the North Central College campus. During the event, a panel of distinguished women shared their experiences, followed by an empowering, interactive dialogue with the assembled audience of campus and community members.
Video of "Coming Together to Lead Well" is available courtesy of Naperville Community Television, Channel 17.
Women's History Month panelists, from left, Nicole Lawton, Joohi Tahir (speaking) and Anita Knotts. Photo by Mark Black.
(To view a text-only webpage with the below flyer information, please click here.)
The Power of a generation
The third event in the Embrace Naperville series, "The Power of a Generation: Community Coming Together," took place on Oct. 25, 2023. The event gave students voice to share their experiences and offer ideas to advance our mission of creating an inclusive community that values diversity.
Panelists share their experiences at the "Power of a Generation" event. Photo Courtesy of NCTV17.
(To view a text-only webpage with the below flyer information, please click here.)
The Power of Connection
The second Embrace Naperville event — "The Power of Connection: AAPI Voices & Community" — took place on May 13, 2023. Video of the "Power of Connection" keynote address is available courtesy of Naperville Community Television, Channel 17.
Panelists Supna Jain, Durriya Gunja, Will Wong, Dr. Tracy P. Leung, Jacob Kadolph and Melvin Kim share their experiences. Photo Courtesy of Futang Wang, Chinese American Women in Action.
(To view a text-only webpage with the below flyer information, please click here.)
The Power of Inclusion
The first Embrace Naperville event — "The Power of Inclusion" — took place on Nov. 10, 2022. Video of the "Power of Inclusion" panel is available courtesy of Naperville Community Television, Channel 17.
Participants create a paper chain symbolizing inclusion and connection.
(To view a text-only webpage with the below flyer information, please click here.)
