Gonzaga Preparatory School is pleased to announce that it has received a $594,000 grant from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting excellence in education.
This substantial funding will allow Gonzaga Prep to construct a new Student Support Center, providing dedicated facilities for the school’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) and Academic Success Center (ASC), which have become essential resources for the student body. The grant will also enable the creation of three Active Learning Classrooms designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, reflecting Gonzaga Prep’s commitment to innovative education.
“Our mission to make quality education accessible is enhanced in the immediate future by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation,” said Derek Duchesne, Principal of Gonzaga Prep. “With this grant, we can create transformative spaces that support every student’s potential and future success. We are profoundly grateful to the E. L. Wiegand Foundation for helping us advance this mission.”
The E. L. Wiegand Foundation, established in 1982, embodies the spirit of its founder, Edwin L. Wiegand, who valued hard work and scientific curiosity. The foundation’s commitment to supporting organizations that foster achievement and demonstrate a significant impact is a powerful affirmation of Gonzaga Prep’s mission to serve a diverse student body through affordable education.
Once phase one is complete, the school envisions further enhancements to co-curricular and classroom support.
CONTEXT
The ASC is designed with students’ achievements in mind and serves as the academic backbone of the new facility. It offers an “all-you-can-eat buffet” of free tutoring services, academic advising, academic programming, and collaborative study spaces. Through diverse and transformative academic support opportunities, it aims to cultivate a supportive environment and empower all students to be active and independent learners.
The LRC supports neurodivergent students needing specialized academic support and accommodation. Its services help students achieve their full potential in a college prep curriculum.
Active learning classrooms are more mobile, flexible, and collaborative, creating more access points into our curriculum, better engaging students, and leading to stronger academic outcomes for our students.