AUSTIN, Texas—The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin has received a $40,000 grant to help Texas school districts with improvement programs that support the implementation of the state’s curricular standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.
The $40,000 Ventures in Leadership grant from the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds is earmarked for the Education Improvement Network (EIN) and will allow the Dana Center to expand the services it provides to Texas school districts that are members of the network.
The EIN’s goal is to strengthen education systems in Texas so every student graduates with the preparation needed to succeed in college.
“The Education Improvement Network provides a support structure for district leaders seeking to improve learning,” said David Hill, deputy director of the Dana Center, a research unit of the College of Natural Sciences. “We are grateful to the Wallace Funds for the Ventures in Leadership grant because it will enhance our ability to provide leadership in strengthening educational opportunities for the children of Texas.”
The Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds seek to create opportunities for people to enrich themselves through better schools, enhanced community activities and participation in the arts. EIN project staff will use the Ventures in Leadership award to create a series of leadership development sessions with district leaders. These sessions will include follow-up support in the schools and problem-solving sessions.
“We are pleased to offer Ventures in Leadership awards that will bring innovative approaches to the way we view and respond to the crisis in educational leadership,” said Mary Lee Fitzgerald, director of education programs at the Wallace Funds. “We believe these ideas will foster new partnerships between states, communities, schools and districts that will ultimately result in improved student achievement.”
For more information, contact: Blanca Hernandez at the Education Improvement Network at the Charles A. Dana Center, (512) 232-9412, or Jessica Schwartz at the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds, (212) 251-9711. For more information about the Dana Center, visit the center’s Web site. For further information and applications for Ventures Fund grants, visit the Wallace Foundation Web site.
