The University of Wyoming today (Thursday) unveiled its new Literacy Research Center and Clinic, a state-of-the-art facility in the College of Education Annex that will support literacy initiatives across the state.

The LRCC will serve as the center of literacy knowledge in Wyoming by offering professional development for teachers, literacy education for pre-service teachers and graduate students, research on literacy education, and service as a statewide clinical resource.

Also announced was Donne and Sue Fisher’s extraordinary $2.5 million contribution that was matched by $2.5 million by the state of Wyoming, for a total of $5 million. The Fishers look forward to continuing to partner with Wyoming and its university to further strengthen literacy programs.

The gift will provide support for a director of operations; offer seed funding for literacy outreach and research projects; create grants to fund K-12 teachers conducting innovation action research in their classrooms; and provide scholarships for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. The funding also will assist with professional development and expand the center’s statewide tutoring program.

“Sue and I are honored to be a part of this important project that will serve not only the university community, but the entire state of Wyoming,” says Donne Fisher. “We made the decision to invest in the UW literacy center because we feel like it can make a difference in the lives of many young people across the state. The state’s matching gift program also played a big role in our decision. You don’t often see states partner with private contributors as they did in this instance.”

First Lady Carol Mead, a leading spokesperson for literacy initiatives, has played a major role to secure the financing for the building.

“The LRCC is a product of strong partnerships among academic and state leaders, and many generous and visionary donors,” Mrs. Mead says. “I am grateful to all of the folks who had a hand in establishing what is sure to be a premier hub for literacy research and education in Wyoming and beyond.”

In addition to the Fishers, other donors who have enthusiastically supported the center include Mickey and Jeanne Klein, the Joe and Arlene Watt Foundation, Don and Betty Walters, Thea Stidum, Archie Jurich and the John P. Ellbogen Foundation.

The state of Wyoming’s role in developing the center has been critical. Through the Excellence in Higher Education Endowment created by the Legislature in 2006, four endowed positions were mandated for the College of Education. Two of those positions were identified by UW for excellence in literacy -- George Kamberelis and Vicki Gillis bring dual expertise in reading and literacy to UW’s elementary and secondary education and pre-service teaching programs.

In its recent session, the Legislature also approved a special matching gift program for the literacy center, which expanded the Fisher gift. The Legislature’s ongoing Endowment Challenge Program provided matching funds for other gifts to the program and college, including Mickey and Jeanne Klein’s 2011 gift that supported the creation of the College of Education’s Sullivan Family Student Center.

The Sullivan Family Student Center serves as a hub for student activities and is a further renovation and improvement to the UW College of Education Annex that was remodeled in recent years to accommodate the development of technologically enhanced model classrooms.

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