Loyola’s York Road Initiative honored for partnership among K12 schools, higher education, and the community
The York Road Initiative (YRI) received the Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic’s (CCMA) P20 Partnership Award for demonstrating a community-based approach to learning, with equity and social justice at the forefront.
This award honors an outstanding leading partnership among K12, higher education, and the community. Recipients of the award are dedicated to addressing issues related to college, career, and civic readiness through student engagement and service-learning, thereby increasing both student success and community development.
“We’re honored to receive this award, but it’s truly the collaborative spirit and trust from our partner elementary and middle schools that make capacity-building projects possible,” said Marie McSweeney Anderson, assistant director of the York Road Initiative. “We have amazing schools, students, and educators in the York Road community and we’re grateful to be able to shine the spotlight on these longtime partnerships.”
One of Loyola York Road Initiative’s core focus areas is youth development. Since 2010, YRI has worked to prioritize partnerships with and align resources to area elementary schools including, Govans Elementary, Walter P. Carter Elementary and Middle School, and the now-closed Guilford Elementary School.
Five years ago, in anticipation of the reconstruction of the Walter P. Carter school building and the closure of the Guilford School, Loyola worked with community school coordinators from both schools to envision and implement an innovative approach, which strived to bring both student bodies together before the merge of the schools. Events such as block parties, Youth Night Out at Loyola, and pen pal programs helped to stoke relationship and excitement. Now that the schools are merged into the new Walter P. Carter building—a CCMA AmeriCorps VISTA member—Loyola's YRI continues to support educators to cultivate a unified school community. Loyola’s YRI will be honored with this award during a virtual awards ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 14, from 3:30-5 p.m. The achievement award will also be published on social media and to the CCMA website.
More about Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic
Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic (CCMA) is a non-profit membership association of public, private, two- and four-year colleges and universities. CCMA provides leadership to colleges and universities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware by advocating, supporting, and encouraging institutional participation in academic and co-curricular based public service and civic engagement programs. CCMA strengthens the capacity of member institutions to enhance student learning and to meaningfully engage with communities. CCMA is supported through a combination of institutional dues, federal and private grants, donations, and in-kind contributions. The CCMA office is located at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.