UF’s College of Education has received a $1 million grant.
The Jim Moran Foundation, a philanthropic organization named after an automobile industry billionaire, provided the grant, which supports the development of the latest teaching tools for Florida’s 55,000 early learning educators.
The grant is expected to boost UF’s Early Learning Florida program, a unique online professional development system, said Donald Pemberton, the director of the Lastinger Center for Learning, which is in the College of Education.
“This grant and the professional learning system that it will develop further cements UF’s reputation as the preeminent leader of online learning,” he said.
Pemberton said UF also received funding from three other foundations, the Stranahan Foundation, the Lastinger Family Foundation and the Helios Education Foundation.
UF early childhood education freshman Kelly Martin, 19, said she is excited to see funding put to good use.
“This is a great benefit to the college of education,” Martin said. “I’m glad that my college is receiving the funding they deserve, and hopefully the students will be rewarded as well.”
The grant will be paid over three years, Pemberton said.
“It has provided the necessary financial resources to complete the design and build of the professional learning system for Florida’s early learning educators,” Pemberton said.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 11/1/2014]
