funds that provide support for teacher education
General Funds
Teacher Education Program Fund- Scholarship/Award Funds
John and Barb Blackburn Scholarship Fund
Melinda and Alfred LaBarre Scholarship Fund
Loken Family Scholarship
Otis D. Morgan Award Fund
Gary E. Spears Scholarship - Create Your Own Fund
Thank you so much for your interest in giving to the Teacher Education Program at UIS. You can give to any of the following funds by clicking on the name; this will take you to a safe online giving page. You can also send your gift by mail.
General Funds
The Teacher Education Program has one general fund. You can give as much or as little as you would like to this fund, and you can give online or by mail.
Teacher Education Program Fund Donate
Give to this fund for FUTURE TEACHER SUPPORT. We are setting up a new fund for this initiative. Until then, please make your gifts to this general fund. Put a note in the Comment Box to let us know you want to help support future teachers.
This fund provides money for special opportunities or extraordinary needs.
- Faculty and students can travel to a conference to present their research or learn from professionals in their field..
- Faculty can take part in a special opportunity to update their skills. Professors need to be aware of the latest developments in their field, so that they can pass this knowledge on to their students.
- The department can purchase special equipment, test materials, resources, or training modules to help our students attain success and achieve their goals.
These activities and others like them enrich our students immeasurably, enhancing the education they receive at UIS—but we could not do any of them without the discretionary money given to this fund.
Scholarship/Award Funds
The Teacher Education Program has two targeted scholarship funds. You can give to either, adding to their total.
John and Barb Blackburn Scholarship Fund Donate
The Blackburns give an annually funding scholarship each year. Although their gift each year is unrestricted (with no specific criteria), the scholarship generally goes to either an English or an education major, reflecting John's Master's degree in Educational Administration ('79) and Barb's Master's Degree in Literature ('81). Your gift to this scholarship will be added to the amount they give each year, increasing the size of the scholarship.
Melinda and Alfred LaBarre Scholarship Fund Donate
As a former teacher, principal and Ball Foundation Consultant to the Springfield Ball Charter School, as well as a current member of Springfield’s Dist. 186 School Board, Melinda LaBarre has invested many years in the educational integrity of Springfield’s students. Along with her husband, attorney Alfred “Pete” LaBarre, the LaBarres have established the Melinda A. and Alfred B. LaBarre Scholarship which will honor a qualified high school graduate of Springfield’s public school district Applicants must be a graduate of a Springfield public high school with a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 upon graduation. Students must also be accepted into the UIS Mid-State Student Support program to be considered.
Loken Family Scholarship Donate
For students who not only want to be classroom teachers, but educators of those pupils who may need significantly more patience, guts and innovation with their instruction, the Loken Family Scholarship seeks to help accomplish that goal. Education majors who intend to work with special needs, at-risk or other special population students are the focus of this scholarship. Applicants must have financial need and be enrolled in a minimum of two classes.
Otis D. Morgan Award Fund Donate
Dr. Otis D. Morgan, who died in 1973, was a UIS (then Sangamon State University) charter faculty member. Dr. Morgan’s primary instruction was in the Teacher Preparation Sequence. The Otis D. Morgan Memorial Scholarship, one of the longest-running UIS scholarships available, was established in 1975 by the Black Caucus (of Springfield). Applicants for this scholarship must be minority transfer students majoring in Education. Preference is given to African-American students, particularly those from the East St. Louis area.
Gary E. Spears Scholarship Donate
This scholarship goes to a student who plans to be a teacher and has financial need.
Other Options
You could also create your own named fund--either a current-use scholarship or an endowed scholarship--that benefits teacher education program students. Use the links to learn more about these scholarship opportunities.
As the principle donor, you would get to name the fund and establish the selection criteria.
Questions?
Please use the link at left to Send Us Your Question. You can also contact our office directly.
We look forward to hearing from you!
