Your Annual Fund Investment in the VCU School of Education
Your gift is an investment in people — our students, faculty and the community we serve today and in the future. We ask that you consider sharing what you feel is a meaningful gift, and we promise you that we will use your generosity in meaningful and impactful ways…and you can count on us to share that impact with you.
A gift to the School of Education annual fund is the best way that you, as a donor, can make an immediate impact. It is a way to seek solutions to the challenges we all face. With a dwindling state budget, your gift supports the greatest needs of the school. It allows us to seize opportunities and act on innovative ideas, to award and recognize students with scholarships, to host guest presenters and panel discussions, all which contribute to the School Education being recognized as an institution of national prominence.
Some examples of your investment at work
- The School of Education annual fund provided seventeen $1,000 scholarships for students in the Innovative Teacher Pipeline Program. This program aims to prepare teachers to best support educational excellence and equity, particularly for Black and LatinX school children in urban settings who have been historically marginalized.
- In February 2020, the School of Education created a new center to advance innovative and culturally responsive K-12 science, technology, engineering and math education (STEM). The Center for Innovation in STEM Education aims to empower students, particularly those from historically underrepresented populations, and the teachers who serve them to engage in STEM learning experiences and become aware of career opportunities.
- Provided the opportunity for doctoral students and other student groups to engage with and learn from a nationally-renowned visiting scholar of urban education, which is at the heart of the school’s mission.
- Provided support for launching the School of Education’s first sophomore transition series event. This is a coordinated effort between University Advising and Department Advising units to aid in the transition from first year to departmental advising, educate students on what to expect upon entering their department, and impact retention for sophomore students.
- With the help of annual funds, the VCU School of Education hosts a Teacher Appreciation event each year which celebrates the generous work of cooperating educators who supervised and evaluated SOE students for in-school required student teaching, internship and practicum experience during the school year. These events attract more than 50 teachers, counselors and administrators.
- Annual funds facilitated the creation of an initiative composed of education and city stakeholders that allows VCU students to serve as mentors to strengthen child and family stability in the Richmond area. This initiative helps improve our reach into the local community, positively impact underserved student populations, and affect positive change through collaborative relationships.
- Annual funds make it possible for faculty to present at conferences, as well as to host conferences that attract professionals and students in the areas of counseling, research and educational psychology. This provides the school with valuable visibility in the higher education field.
If you have invested in the School in the past, we thank you and encourage you to consider giving annually when possible. If you are ready to make your first gift, we want to thank you for being engaged and a part of the solution to the challenges we face. Your investment is one in our people, and one that will continue to grow our institution.
