North Park University (NPU) nursing alumna Ivana Chmielewski has received a prestigious Schweitzer Fellowship to design and implement innovative projects to address the health needs of underserved Chicago residents.
The yearlong program, established by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, pairs fellows with existing local organizations to create a project benefiting the community. For her work, Chmielewski will develop a literacy education program with a focus on mental health that will bring nursing resources to immigrants, refugees, minority communities, and unhoused individuals.
“Creating a coalition of resources that are currently unavailable would mitigate the preventable health disparities faced by these disadvantaged groups,” Chmielewski said of the fellowship, which is named for the Nobel laureate and humanitarian. “This also helps to build connections with their community and build trust with healthcare providers.”
In addition to committing 200 hours of service to the fellowship, Chmielewski plans to return to NPU this fall to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice. She previously earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing at North Park.
The 2023–24 Schweitzer Fellows include 28 students from 11 schools, 11 disciplines, and 19 academic programs. The class of fellows was selected from a pool of almost 100 applicants through a competitive process.
In addition to her service project, Chmielewski and her peers will also participate in a 13-month program that includes monthly meetings, trainings, and ongoing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration as well as support from a team of mentors from their schools, project sites, alumni network, and staff.