National Recognition for Teacher Education Project

The Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators has awarded Gonzaga University the Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Academic Partnership for its work on the Hillyard Youth Project Collaborative in Northeast Spokane. The initiative is led by Dr. John Traynor, associate professor in the School of Education, and Bailey Wootten, assistant director for youth programs in the Center for Community Action and Service-Learning.

The Hillyard Youth Collaborative promotes the success of youth in the northeast neighborhoods while providing Gonzaga students, faculty and staff opportunities to collaborate with local nonprofit organizations and public schools to improve their own growth and development, as well as middle school student achievement. As leaders of the Hillyard Youth Collaborative, Traynor and Wooten develop partnerships with faculty across campus, and partner with school administrators and staff.

The Ignatian Medal for outstanding academic partnership award is conferred annually in recognition of a program/initiative that demonstrates collaboration or integration of academic and student affairs in support of student success and student learning.