The Don York Faculty Initiative Award is presented annually to a University of Chicago faculty member who has made a significant and lasting contribution to local K–12 students and schools through academic initiatives and personal commitment. This recognition was established by the Neighborhood Schools Program in 2010 to honor faculty members who have positively influenced the field of education particularly through direct engagement with Chicago Public Schools schools. In 2013, the award was named in honor of Professor Emeritus Donald G. York, who worked for over two decades to advance the thoughtful integration of technology in CPS classrooms. Notably, Don’s team was responsible for running the very first internet connection into a CPS building from the University to DuSable High School in 1995.
Past recipients include: Donald G. York, Cathy Cohen, Charles Payne, Melissa Gilliam, Sara Stoelinga, Marv Hoffman, Bart Schultz, Mark Oreglia, Stephanie Cacioppo, David Miller, Susan Levine, Maanasa Raghavan, Sarah King, Hannes Bernien (South Side STEM Festival Team), and Dr. Abdullah Pratt.
