LaunchNW Taps Gonzaga University Experts to Develop Map of Family Support Services

LaunchNW, a community and economic vitality initiative of the Innovia Foundation, has tapped Gonzaga University to develop a comprehensive, interactive map of services that support youth and families in the completion of high school and the attainment of post-high school education in Spokane County. 

“An asset map, if it is done right, can be a great gift to individuals and community because it democratizes information and makes resources accessible," said LaunchNW Executive Director Ben Small.

“The method by which this tool is created matters a lot to us," Small said "The process will include input from a diverse group of stakeholders and community members who will come alongside LaunchNW and researchers at Gonzaga to help us see this project with an equity lens. We hope the map that we create will be a living, breathing tool.”

The map will highlight programs and services that provide support for mental health, social-emotional health, housing stability, food, security and academic support county-wide.  The project is designed to create an easy-to-use reference site of these assets via a comprehensive interactive community asset map. The map will share the location, type of services, and specific information about the assets that are featured. 

Vivek Patil, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing in the School of Business Administration, and Research Fellow in GU’s Opportunity Northeast place-based initiative will design and construct the map. Molly Ayers, Assistant Dean for the Center for Community Engagement, will work with GU student researchers to collect data that will populate the map. Patil was previously involved in creating a similar map at Gonzaga when the university conducted its own asset mapping project in 2015.

“I am looking forward to working with LaunchNW and different stakeholders in the community to help create a platform that will be useful to the community for the foreseeable future,” said Patil.

“Gonzaga is honored to be a part of LaunchNW's Community Asset Map development and design,” Ayers added. “We hope this map offers families a ready resource to connect to the vast network of services, programs, and providers within Spokane County. We are grateful to be a part of this important project."  

Work is expected to begin this spring, with completion by Spring 2024.

About LaunchNW: LaunchNW, born out of the strategic framework of Innovia Foundation, is a community and economic vitality initiative which spans 20 counties in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, impacting 102 school districts, nearly 150,000 students and over one million residents. A supported promise scholarship serves as an incentive and change agent to transform the trajectory of our communities. LaunchNW coordinates holistic, wraparound services and supports to break down the barriers to high school completion and post-high school career pursuit.