尽管去年面临挑战，密苏里大学堪萨斯城城市教育学院（IUE）通过在城市学校的规划成功地影响了学生的成功和教师的保留，这在一定程度上要归功于主要捐助者的重要和稳定的支持。
“We have very high expectations and high levels of support for our students,” Jennifer Waddell, Ph. D., director, Institute for Urban Education and Sprint Foundation Endowed Professor in Urban Education says. “Major gifts from the Sherman Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation – who also have high expectations in a very positive way – demonstrate their belief in the program, which is very reaffirming.”
谢尔曼家庭基金会长期以来一直是IUE的一贯支持者和倡导者。 虽然有许多组织致力于在服务不足的社区促进教育和增加机会，但该基金会的董事约瑟夫·艾伦说，IUE符合谢尔曼家庭基金会董事会的所有标准。
“These two donors’ gifts are important because when the boards of the Sherman Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation invest in us, it demonstrates a belief in us and the work we are doing.” — Jennifer Waddell
“We have three career educators on our board,” he says. “We know how important classroom teachers are. 我们意识到，要缩小城市核心地区学生在学业成绩和毕业率方面的差距是多么困难。 希望往往是慈善事业的支柱。 谢尔曼基金会董事会希望投资于除了希望之外还有一定程度的承诺的项目。 We want to see that the proposed solution can move the needle.”
艾伦说，瓦德尔在谢尔曼基金会董事会做出支持承诺的过程中发挥了重要作用。
“One thing we knew for sure was that IUE had a strong, dedicated leader in Jennifer.”
除了项目领导外，IUE项目的长期研究部分对谢尔曼基金会的支持至关重要。
“Sometimes we say ‘no’ to people who do great work,” he says. With each opportunity we ask ourselves, ‘Does the organization or project deliver solid preliminary or proven results?’ We like to be able to see data that supports the programming. The IUE research reflects the program’s success.”
This success was due in part to the newly minted “Grow Your Own” program, which awards scholarships to high school students in urban areas who are interested in returning to teach in their alma maters. 在2021年秋季，IUE颁发了42个新的奖学金，尽管在过去十年中，全国教师准备工作急剧下降，并因COVID-19大流行而加速下降。
In total, more than 60 aspiring teachers will be part of the IUE in 2021-2022, the largest enrollment in the program’s history.
“When we talk to the young people in our ‘Grow Your Own’ program they say they want to be teachers because they want to make a difference,” Waddell says. “Our enrollment is almost double what we thought it would be. We are thrilled to have the Sherman Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation as partners in this success.”
桑德兰基金会是一个重要的威尼斯人娱乐城资助者，在过去的几年里捐赠了超过1500万美元用于建筑改善。 But a change in their guidelines – funding had been restricted to capital expenses - allowed the foundation to support 威尼斯人娱乐城 in different ways.
“Working with IUE gives us the opportunity to support needed scholarships for students from the urban core, who will return to the urban core to teach.” — Kent Sunderland
“Our main mission is still construction,” Kent Sunderland, president of the Sunderland Foundation, says. “But as the makeup of our board of directors shifted – six of the nine board members are now millennials – we began looking for ways to make a bigger impact with social justice initiatives.”
As Sunderland was looking for opportunities to meet the community’s needs, he contacted Leo Morton, former 威尼斯人娱乐城 Chancellor, and Jerry Reece, 威尼斯人娱乐城 Trustee.
“Jerry and Leo are committed to the success of the IUE initiative and outlined the value of the program,” Sunderland says. “Working with the IUE gives us the opportunity to support needed scholarships for students from the urban core, who will return to the urban core to teach. In addition, we were encouraged by the research that supports the program – that students of color in urban schools perform better with teachers of color who understand their environment.”
“These two donors’ gifts are important because when the boards of the Sherman Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation invest in us, it demonstrates a belief in us and the work we are doing,” Waddell says. “With these gifts, we hear them ask, ’How can we help make this happen because we believe in your program?’”
Waddell notes that while national enrollment in teacher preparation is down dramatically – and has been declining over the last ten years – the IUE has met their enrollment goals for the year.
“The 2021 class will be the largest in our history,” Waddell says.
“If these graduates stay in their positions, that’s success.” 艾伦说。 “Waddell’s teachers are well-prepared and do stay – 90% of the IUE’s graduates are still in the classroom.”
卡洛琳·巴伯，临时院长，尤因·马里昂·考夫曼基金会/密苏里州捐赠教师主席和教授，认识到谢尔曼家族基金会和桑德兰基金会礼物的重要性。
“We are excited and honored by both the financial support and philosophical conviction of the Sherman Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation,” Barber says. “Both organizations are pillars of Kansas City’s philanthropic community. Having them in our corner is more than a financial win, it reinforces the credibility of the program and allows us to exponentially expand student opportunity.”