Gift to Benefit IU School of Education Diversity Programs
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana University School of Education has received a gift from two alumni that will support the Global Gateway for Teachers as well as diversity, equity and inclusion programs. IU says Gene and Kathy Jongsma have designated $1.3 million from their estate to establish the Jongsma Family School of Education Future Fund.
The university says the funding will give students cross-cultural experience as well as support the school’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“We wanted to make it easier for other teachers and teacher educators to have similar experiences as part of their training,” said Gene and Kathy Jongsma.
The Jongsmas hope their gift will support positive change to public education.
“Gene and Kathy Jongsma’s incredible gift promises a bright future for the Global Gateway for Teachers, strengthening our program’s visibility as a national leader in overseas student teaching and ensuring that our student teachers will be able to continue engaging in the international immersion experiences that profoundly shape who they are, professionally and personally,” said Laura Stachowski, gateway director. “The impact of the Jongsmas’ gift and their belief in the transformative power of international experiential learning will resonate for years to come, contributing to a more conscious and compassionate lens through which our student teachers — and, in turn, their future pupils — will view the world and the people who inhabit it.”
Carl Darnell, assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at IU, says the gift will help increase programming and reach out to underrepresented students.