FāVS News News and Commentary about Religion and Ethics in Eastern Washington and North Idaho
Last month the YMCA welcomed the Act Six Program to the Y. Act Six is a leadership and scholarship initiative providing full-tuition, full-need scholarships to Gonzaga and Whitworth universities, as well as training and support to the scholars throughout their college careers.
Act Six is in its 11th year, starting at Whitworth and expanding to multiple universities around the Northwest. This Spring Gonzaga graduated their first cadre of scholars. The YMCA of the Inland Northwest is now the Spokane affiliate for the program, providing local support in recruitment, selection and collaboration with partner colleges.
Steve Tammaro, president and CEO of the YMCA, said in a press release, “The partnership between the YMCA and Whitworth and Gonzaga universities is yet another example of great mission-focused organizations coming together for the betterment of the community. Act Six is not just about education but about creating leaders who will benefit our community for years to come.”
Alyson Atwater will serve as the Act Six program supervisor. She holds a double Bachelor of Arts degree in education as well as a teaching certificate. After graduation she worked as a substitute and with the Act Six program for a year and a half.
For information on Act Six or to nominate someone who might qualify (high school seniors or up to two years out of high school and enrolled in a local community college) visit www.actsix.org or contact Atwater at at 777 YMCA (9622) x 413 or aatwater@ymcaspokane.org. The application is available online and is due by Oct. 29.
Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of SpokaneFāVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.
