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Distributions from this Fund will be used to provide support for students enrolled in the School at the University. Student support includes but is not limited to: scholarships, professional development and enrichment experiences. The Dean of the School of Education in consultation with members of the WISE giving circle who have contributed to the fund, if possible, will determine the greatest needs of the school in any given year.   Support the WISE Scholarship

This scholarship supports teacher licensure students who are committed to advancing educational opportunities in under-resourced schools, especially those that serve African American communities. Professor Emeritus Charles Nilon (1916-1991) joined the English Department in 1956 as the first black professor at ���������� Boulder. Over the next several decades, he inspired countless students, colleagues, and community members from all backgrounds. Among many important contributions, he spearheaded the university’s first Black Studies program that grew into the current Department of Ethnic Studies. 

Mildred Nilon (1920-2017) became the first black librarian on campus in 1962. Over the next 25 years, she became head of the Reference Department and later the Assistant Director for Public Services.

Professor and Mrs. Nilon were beloved members of the our community who also effectively began a change in Boulder’s segregated housing pattern. Their belief in the importance of community and service is evidenced by their active participation in local groups such as the United Black Action Committee, the United Black Women of Boulder Valley (including Mrs. Nilon’s term as president), the Town and Country YWCA Board, the Mental Health Board, and Historic Boulder. Named in honor of the Nilons’ impact on ����������, the local community, and the experiences of underrepresented students, this fund aims to support students who will extend their legacy by expanding opportunities for current and future generations of children in under-resourced schools.

Together with the the Hubert L. “Hooks” Jones Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. we established a scholarship to support ���������� Boulder education students who are inspired to continue the Tuskegee Airmen legacy. In honor of the African American men and women who served our country with distinction during World War II, this endowment awards students aspiring to work in and teach students from underrepresented communities.

   We believe that this partnership is an exciting and long-term way to do exactly that. We are very proud and pleased to be able to partner with ���������� Boulder School of Education to support future students.” -Mark Dickerson, president of the “Hooks” Jones Chapter  

•  - Aiming toward creating schools that are safer and more affirming of LGBTQ and gender-expansive youth, A Queer Endeavor seeks partnerships with educators and school communities to make unworkable the silence that historically has surrounded topics of gender and sexual diversity in education. 
•  - The BUENO Center emphasizes advocacy and respect for culture and language and promotes social justice and a more equitable, diverse society through a wide range of research and preparation programs from GED to PhD. 
•  - ���������� Engage, ���������� Boulder’s Center for Community-Based Learning and Research, supports programs and initiatives that work collaboratively with community groups to address complex public challenges through academic courses, research projects, and creative work. 
•  - Guided by the belief that the democratic governance of public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence, NEPC produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. 

Teachers of Color and Allies Summit

Launched in 2003, the Teachers of Color and Allies (TOCA) Summit is a daylong event that gathers education students, local educators of color, and allies to provide collegial support, opportunities for networking and mentoring, and insights into best practices in education. Hosted by the School of Education in partnership with local school districts, the summit is held every fall. 

Best Should Teach

The Best Should Teach Initiative celebrates excellence teaching and academic leadership. Each year Best Should Teach Gold and Silver Awards are presented to college and university faculty and public school teachers. Lindley and Marguerite Stiles, along with Ira and Ineva Baldwin established the initiative in 1996 to promulgate the message that “The Best Should Teach,” which is inscribed on the Education building.  

• Curriculum & Instruction - C&I programs enrich understanding of the histories and foundations of knowledge, inquiry, learning, and pedagogy in teaching and in research of subject areas. Support one or more of the distinct areas of study:  , , and   (Research on Teaching & Teacher Education). 
• Educational Equity & Cultural Diversity - EECD explores school culture, language policies, and the social and political context of schooling. It is devoted to the critical examination of theory, practice, and policy in the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students and the education of exceptional children. 
• Educational Foundations, Policy & Practice - EFPP is devoted to the critical examination of the relationships among education, society, culture, and government, with special emphasis on problems of race, gender, sexual diversity, social class, and multiculturalism. 
• Learning Sciences & Human Development - LSHD takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying learning, teaching, and development in-school and out-of-school contexts. Our program is at the leading edge of explorations of issues of social justice, power, and culture in learning. 
• Research & Evaluation Methodology - REM focuses on research methodology with an eye toward influencing current and future education policy and practice. Particularly, our researchers study the effectiveness and impact of standardized testing in relation to teachers, schools and students. 

To continue his legacy, Professor Anderson’s students, colleagues, and friends have established Ronald D. Anderson Flatirons Fund or the Curriculum & Instruction Math & Science Education Programa Flatirons Fund. The annual benefit from this fund may be used for special math & science program needs such as science education doctoral student travel, an invited speaker, or a best paper prize. Named in honor of Professor Anderson, the use of these funds will create occasions to remember his work and the on-going work of his students.

Professor Emerita Margaret Eisenhart has made multiple significant contributions to social and cultural theory, especially as applied to understanding women’s learning and participation in STEM fields, and to research methodology. To continue her legacy, Eisenhart’s former students, colleagues, and friends established the Margaret A. Eisenhart Flatirons Fund for the Educational Foundations, Policy & Practice Program (EFPP) to remember her work and contributions to research on culture, identity, and equity.  

Professor Roberta "Bobbie" Flexer has always been dedicated to mathematics education reform.  For more than four decades her work has focused on helping elementary teachers overcome their own mathematics anxiety so that they could see, enjoy, and further the mathematics learning of even the youngest children. To continue her legacy, Flexer’s students, colleagues, and friends established the Roberta Flexer Flatirons Fund for the Curriculum & Instruction Math & Science Education Program. The annual benefit may be used for special needs such as doctoral student travel, an invited speaker, or a best paper prize.

Gene Glass is a Senior Researcher at the National Education Policy Center in the School of Education and is recognized nationally for his outstanding contributions to education policy and research. To continue his legacy, Glass's students, colleagues, and friends established the Gene Glass Flatirons Fund for the Research & Evaluation Methodology (REM) Program. The annual benefit may be used for special needs such as REM doctoral student travel, an invited speaker, or a best paper prize. 

Kenneth Hopkins dedicated his career as Professor to education methodology. He is recognized nationally for his outstanding contributions to this field, and to continue his legacy, Hopkin's students, colleagues, and friends established the Kenneth Hopkins Flatirons Fund for the Research & Evaluation Methodology (REM) Program The annual benefit may be used for special needs such as REM doctoral student travel, an invited speaker, or a best paper prize.

Professor Emeritus Ken Howe has been at the forefront of research in philosophy and education policy for over four decades. Fittingly, he was recently named the recipient of the John Dewey Society’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award. To continue his legacy, Howe’s students, colleagues, and friends established the Kenneth R. Howe Flatirons Fund for the Educational Foundations, Policy & Practice (EFPP) Program. The annual benefit may be used for special needs such as EFPP doctoral student travel, an invited speaker, or a best paper prize.

This fellowship honors Janette Kettmann Klingner, a beloved longtime Professor of Bilingual/Special Education. Klingner devoted her distinguished career to the field of bilingual special education and her name is recognized in the field as one of the premier researchers and advocates. The Kettmann family created this memorial fellowship in 2014 to support Educational Equity & Cultural Diversity (EECD) program doctoral candidates in the completion of their dissertations. 

Professor Emeritus Richard Kraft is a teacher and teacher educator, an international scholar and educational ambassador, and an advocate for experiential education and service learning. His views on education were shaped by Dewey and Freire, so he has always lived by the principle that education is fundamental to democratic participation and is, at its heart, transformative. To continue his legacy, Kraft’s former students, colleagues, and friends established the Richard J. Kraft Flatirons Fund for the Educational Foundations, Policy & Practice (EFPP) Program. The annual benefit may be used at the discretion of the program area for special needs such as an invited speaker, a special event, or a community-focused scholarship. 

For more than 40 years, Robert L. Linn was an eminence without equal in the field of educational measurement. In addition to his extensive, highly technical work, Linn was also known for his sage, patient, and practical leadership in the world of testing policy. Additionally, Bob’s gentle nature and his gift for explaining complex concepts to practitioners made him highly sought after as an advisor and thought partner. Bob passed in 2016, but your gift to the Robert and Joyce Linn Endowment will ensure future young scholars can advance his legacy through the Robert L. Linn Memorial Lecture Award, given annually. The recipient, a mid-career scholar who best exemplifies insightful and interdisciplinary contributions to educational measurement and policy, will deliver a lecture to faculty, students, and invited policy and practice leaders at convenings held alternately at the University of Colorado Boulder and at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dean Emerita Lorrie Shepard returned to the School of Education faculty as Distinguished Professor after 15 years as dean and over 40 years invested in equity and excellence in education. To commemorate her remarkable tenure as dean, the Lorrie Shepard Endowed Fund in the School of Education was created in honor of her contribution to education the field of Research & Evaluation Methodology. 

Shelby Wolf spent twenty years as a professor in the ���������� Boudler School of Education and was particularly dedicated to supporting and mentoring first generation university students through Literacy Studies. To honor her legacy, the Shelby Anne Wolf Flatirons Fund in the School of Education was created to support prospective teachers who can effectively weave literature, drama and the arts in their future classrooms, as Shelby had envisioned. Shelby passed in 2013, but this endowment will help her spirit and love of the classroom live on for future generations.