PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday long past the federal holiday. "Remembering the Dream, Living the Vision" is the theme of Penn's 2002 Commemorative Symposium on Social Change which will begin Jan. 16 and continue through Feb. 1. Most of the events are free and open to the public.

University offices will be closed and no classes scheduled on Jan. 21, the official national holiday, to give the Penn community an opportunity to participate in the King day of service.

Earlier this month, Penn President Judith Rodin welcomed the Penn community back from winter break by encouraging students, faculty and staff to actively get involved in holiday observances.

"We know we are living through perilous and challenging times. We need to mobilize our wisdom, our energy and our oul forceto meet every challenge, fight injustice and reach higher ground. What better way to begin the new year than to participate in the events, programs and community service projects that form the heart of this year's annual observance and celebration of Dr. King's birthday."

The King day of service at Penn will begin at 9 a.m. on Jan. 21 when Rodin will greet individuals at a community breakfast on campus at DuBois College House, 3900 Walnut St. The Rev. Bernard James, pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, will deliver the keynote address. More than 150 volunteers are expected to attend the breakfast to fuel themselves for a day of service work.

Penn volunteers will fan out across campus and the surrounding neighborhood between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m to participate in several service projects. A group of Penn undergraduate and graduate students of color will spend part of the day on campus mentoring middle school and high school students from the community. Another group of volunteers will help spruce up Drew Elementary School at 36th and Filbert streets, cleaning the hallways and school grounds. Other volunteers will work inside Penn Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St., crafting hand-made gifts, such as lap blankets, for donation to West Philadelphia area shelters, nursing homes and charities.

Even the smallest volunteer will have a chance to serve. Children will paint commemorative banners honoring King inside Penn ARCH auditorium, 3601 Locust Walk. The day of service at Penn will culminate in a candlelight procession and vigil, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, starting at 7 p.m. at the DuBois College House, 3900 Walnut St.

Pre-holiday events on Jan. 16 include Penn history professor Thomas Sugrue's lecture "Martin Luther King Jr.: A Twentieth-Century Life" and a talk about King's influence on future generations by Kevin Powell, former senior writer/editor for Vibe magazine and an original cast member of MTV's "The Real World."

Throughout January, new coats, hats, gloves and scarves are being collected at drop-off bins across campus. The items will be given to people in need in West Philadelphia.

"Remembering the Dream: Living the Vision" programs will continue through Feb. 1 with an eclectic array of scheduled events including lectures and panel discussions ,video screenings, spoken-word poetry readings and a jazz performance.

A listing of events and programs as well as registration information is available at http://www.upenn.edu/aarc/calendar.html.