Chicago -- Coming Together in Skokie includes more than 30 events held over six weeks from Jan. 29 through March 22 at a plethora of venues throughout the village.

The remarkable degree of community-wide participation in Coming Together in Skokie can be seen just by looking at the locations for events: District 68's Highland School, National Louis University, Niles North and Niles West high schools, the Niles Township Schools English Language Learner Parent Center, both campuses (Skokie and Des Plaines) of Oakton Community College, new-to-the-program Sanford-Brown College, the Skokie Park District and the Skokie Public Library.

Booklets containing information about upcoming events and Assyrian culture and history (as well as the added bonus of a recipe for kipteh -- rice meatballs in a thick tomato basil soup) are available throughout Skokie including at the library.

More information about Coming Together in Skokie and the booklet can also be accessed online at www.skokie.lib.il.us/s_programs/ComingTogether/index.asp.

Most of the events are free and open to the public.

A highlight of this year's schedule is the program's first field trip Feb. 18 to the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, a research center and museum devoted to the archaeology, languages and history of civilizations in the ancient Near East.

Participants will board buses at 9:30 a.m. and leave at 10 a.m. from the Skokie Library. Those interested should register by Feb. 9 with a library card number at calendar.skokielibrary.info or call (847) 673-3733.

Other program highlights over the six weeks include the following:

• A kickoff celebration is scheduled for Jan. 29 at Niles West, 5701 Oakton St. The event includes a showcase of Assyrian art at 2:30 p.m. and a cultural program at 3:15 p.m. The art will travel during the six weeks to Niles North and then the Skokie Library.

• Northeastern Illinois University Professor Emeritus Edward Odisho will focus on the history of the Assyrians as the indigenous people of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 in the Mary Radmacher Meeting Room at the Skokie Library, 5215 Oakton St.

• A parent-child (fourth-eighth graders) discussion of "Home Is Beyond the Mountains" is scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 1 in the youth services program room of the Skokie Library. Registration is already under way.

• Fourth through eighth graders can learn to make an Assyrian-inspired craft from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 1 in the craft room of the Skokie Library. Registration is already under way.

• An Assyrian festival ($5 entrance fee for food and entertainment) is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 10 on the Skokie campus, room P103, of Oakton Community College.

• Assyrian Day takes place all day Feb. 15 in the Niles West Information Resource Center.

• Another opportunity for fourth through eighth graders to make Assyrian-inspired crafts is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 15 in the craft room of the Skokie Library.

• A pajama storytime event on the picture book "Shara=Moon" for children ages 2 to 7 and a parent or caregiver is scheduled from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 (registration starts Feb. 1) in the youth services program room of the Skokie Library.

• University of Chicago Associate Professor Christopher Woods will help audiences understand "Gilgamesh" at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Mary Radmacher Meeting Room of the Skokie Library.

• Hollace Graff and Tom Bowen, instructors at Oakton Community College, will address the significance of "Gilgamesh" from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Feb. 21 on the Des Plaines campus of the school, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines.

• A book discussion of "Gilgamesh" is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in the book discussion room of the Skokie Library.

• Assyrian Day takes place all day Feb. 22 in the Niles North Information Resource Center, 9800 Lawler Ave.

• A reading night for Sanford-Brown College students and their parents focusing on "Home Is Beyond the Mountians" is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at the school, 4930 Oakton St.

• A pajama storytime event for children ages 2 to 7 celebrating "Sahara=Moon" is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Niles Township Schools ELL Parent Center, 9440 Kenton Ave.

• A book discussion about "Gilgamesh" is scheduled at 10 a.m. Feb. 23 in the book discussion room of the Skokie Library.

• A celebration of Assyrian culture is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 25 at the Skokie Park District's Oakton Community Center, 4701 Oakton St.

• Lily Afshar, the first woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in classical guitar performance, will perform the music of Mesopotamia on guitar and setar at 3 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Petty Auditorium at the Skokie Library. Tickets are available at 2:30 p.m.

• Author Celia Barker Lottridge will discuss her book "Home Is Beyond the Mountains" at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Niles Township Schools ELL Parent Center and then at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at Highland School, 9700 Crawford Ave. The latter event will also include Assyrian singing, dancing and food.

• A discussion of "Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees" is scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Feb. 29 in room P103 of the Skokie campus of Oakton Community College.

• The Assyrian Club students of Niles West will hear from Dr. Belmina Michael about her journey to the United States and her professional success from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 29 at the school.

• The film "A Second Homeland," which explores the city of Urmi, will be shown followed by a panel discussion featuring Lottridge, author of "Home Is Beyond the Mountains," and Homer Ashurian of the Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation at 6 p.m. Feb. 29 in the Petty Auditorium at the Skokie Library.

• Ashurian and author Vasil Shoumanov will lead a discussion about Assyrians and their lives in Chicago from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 1 in room P103 on the Skokie campus of Oakton Community College.

• Vincent van Exel of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago will introduce the art, archaeology and history of the Neo-Assyrian empire at 7 p.m. March 1 in the Mary Radmacher Meeting Room of the Skokie Library.

• Author Deborah Ellis will lead a discussion of her book, "Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees" at 10:30 a.m. March 7 in the auditorium at Niles North; at 7 p.m. March 7 in the Mary Radmacher Meeting Room of the Skokie Library; at 10:30 a.m. March 9 in the auditorium at Niles West; at 1:30 p.m. March 9 at the Niles Township Schools ELL Center; and at 10 a.m. March 10 at the National Louis University Global Fair, 5202 Old Orchard Road.

• A discussion of "Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees" is scheduled at 7:30 a.m. March 15 at Niles West and 3:30 p.m. March 15 at Niles North.

• A book discussion about "Gilgamesh" moderated by library staff and including a representative from the local Assyrian community is scheduled for 10 a.m. March 21 and 7:30 p.m. March 22 in the book discussion room of the Skokie Library.