Project ElevatED

In 2019, Florida educators of the year were recognized on the field at the FSU Family Weekend football game. Celebrating educators on a public stage marked the launch of Project ElevatED, a concerted effort to recruit, train and retain more educators in the workforce and recognize them for the important work they do.

Through these lenses of recruitment, training and retention, we engage with prospective students to recruit and inspire new education professionals; train the next generation of education professionals with cutting-edge research and teaching techniques; and provide opportunities for professional development and recognition to retain more education professionals in the field.

Throughout the process, our programs serve as pathways to meaningful careers that leave a lasting impact. Education is the profession that creates all other professions, and we can better serve our university, our state, and our nation by providing better training, support and recognition of the teachers, counselors, administrators, coaches and other professionals who work with students every day.

ElevatED Initiatives

New/Expanded Academic Programs

We’re committed to offering innovative and in-demand programs that meet the needs of current and future education professionals, including:

New/Expanded Professional Development Programs

Quality professional development opportunities are an important part of educator development and retention. We’re proud to offer our expertise through projects like:

Personalization for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (PASL), a partnership between FSU, Broward County Schools and Vanderbilt University that focuses on improving both the academic and social-emotional outcomes for high school students
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), a mathematics professional development program for elementary educators
Adult & Community Education (ACE) Summer Institute, a partnership between FSU’s special education program and Leon County Schools that provides preservice teachers with hands-on experience in working with students in ACE’s transition program for young adults with disabilities

Recognition and Support of Education Professionals

Recognition is a key component of Project ElevatED, and we want education professionals to know how important and valued they are. We work to accomplish this by:

Recognizing award-winning education professionals during an FSU football game each year, and expanding this tradition to other universities around the state and the country
Offering a full three-year graduate tuition waiver to every Florida Teacher of the Year award winner since 2020
Partnering with the Florida Department of Education to support the Florida Teacher of the Year program
Delivering care packages to all FSU graduates currently teaching in Florida

New/Expanded Laboratory School Support

Our laboratory schools are routinely recognized for their excellence in teaching and student achievement, and we’re excited to see the next phases in their growth development.

New $17M Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math (STEAM) Building for Florida State University School (K-12) in Tallahassee
Secured 17.4 acres of new land for future expansion of Florida State University School (K-12) in Tallahassee

New/Expanded Scholarships & Fundraising

We’re proud to offer more scholarships than any other college at FSU, and more than any other College of Education in Florida! Through Project ElevatED, we’re keeping that momentum going.

14 new scholarships created for preservice teachers since 2019
$1.81M in scholarships awarded to FSU College of Education students since 2019
Creation of the Duel of the Schools fundraising platform for Colleges of Education in Florida SUS institutions

Education Policy Advocacy

Education policy advocacy is another essential element of Project ElevatED. Our location right here in Florida’s capitol makes us well-equipped to build relationships with key stakeholders with the goal of elevating the education profession.

Letter to the governor advocating for teacher raises across Florida in 2020 and 2021
Partnerships with the Florida Department of Education and other SUS institutions for teacher recruitment and support
Membership in the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE), which allows us to join collective efforts with other universities with doctoral programs in special education to advocate for education policies at the federal and state levels.

Additional Instructional Support

We know that to produce well-prepared teachers, we need excellent teachers of our own.

13 new full-time faculty lines since 2019
12 new graduate assistantship lines since 2019

Additional Research Support

Cutting-edge research is just one of the many areas where we shine, and new systems of support are helping us shine even brighter.

New internal Dean’s Circle Catalyst Grants to support faculty research

Additional Operational Support

More operational funding means more opportunities for us to innovate, create and inspire.

New Anne's College Dean’s Circle program to enhance the college’s operational endowment and research funding support
New Associate Chair/Director positions to support innovation in all Anne's College academic units

New/Renovated Facilities

Our state-of-the-art facilities help us produce state-of-the-art education professionals. Recent renovations to our spaces include: