In collaboration with external and internal partners, our office hosted seven events during the Spring 2024 semester, the most events we have executed in the past three academic years.
Events ranged from workshops to conferences, lunch and learns, and even a field trip for a local school. Regardless of the event’s format, they all stayed true to the PoH mission, focusing on some aspect of fostering equity in education and breaking down barriers for marginalized learners.
This section gives you some additional details about each event and who we aimed to reach. Our office is always looking for new avenues to better serve our community, so please reach out to a staff member if you would like to collaborate on a future event.
Past Events of Pedagogy of Hope
A Day of Re-Imagining Higher Education
January 2024
Speaker: Dr. Paul Groski, Founder and Lead Equity Specialist, Equity Literacy Institute
Audience: Gonzaga University Faculty, Staff, and Pre-Service Teachers
Featuring leader in educational equity and organizational change, Dr. Paul Gorki led three workshops in one day for nearly 170 GU students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Gorki led attendees through informative exercises and material focused on developing our understanding of how current practices may impede diverse learners’ outcomes and ways we can move our thinking and service delivery models to promote success for all students.
2024 Spokane Regional ESL Conference
February 2024
Speakers: Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Educators, Graduate Students
Audience: Practicing and Training Educators, Higher Education Faculty, Community Members
For the second year, our office partnered with a planning committee of volunteer educators from regional educational organizations to host the 35th anniversary of the Spokane Regional ESL Conference. This event brought together nearly 200 attendees to hear from renowned speakers in multicultural education, equity-based teaching practices, and ESL learning.
Teacher Burnout is a Myth!
February 2024Speaker: Dr. Suzann Girtz, Gonzaga University, Teacher Education
Audience: Pre-Service Teachers, School of Education Faculty
Led by Dr. Suzann Girtz, this workshop led attendees through strategies to shut down negative commentary and overcome toxic expectations in their workplaces. Focusing on future teachers, attendees engaged in collaborative exercises and discussions to help them become pros at advocating for their mental health.
Community Engagement in Research and Learning: Collecting Soil Samples and the Ecology of Parent Stress
April 2024
Speaker: Dr. Anna Marie Medina, Gonzaga University, Psychology
Audience: Gonzaga University Faculty, Staff, and Students
In conjunction with her undergraduate students, Dr. Medina engaged attendees in a lively discussion on cultivating community-based learning experiences. They highlighted their ongoing work in examining ecological stressors as they vary by socioeconomic status and providing academic support services in partnership with Spokane Public Schools.
Diversity and Social Justice in Education Conference
April 2024Speaker: Gonzaga University Students, Dr. Deborah Neiding (GU), Taylor Crisp (The Arc of Spokane)
Centered on the theme Constructing a Future of Belonging, this event featured nearly 40 student presenters representing 10 academic departments across Gonzaga University. Students presented artwork and academic posters on various issues, including disability advocacy, sports equity, education initiatives, and community inclusion. Alongside our students, Dr. Deborah Neiding (Gonzaga University) and Taylor Crisp (The Arc of Spokane) presented two inspiring keynote addresses on advocacy and social justice.