City University of Seattle Leading Advancement of Sanford Education Programs in Northwest
Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) June 02, 2015 -- City University of Seattle is pleased to announce it is leading the Northwest expansion of national research-based PreK-12 education programs that reinforce positive peer interactions among students and empower teachers to create inspiring classroom experiences. CityU is also involved in advancing research of the two innovative programs as a member of the Sanford Education Collaborative, a newly-created network of nine universities nationwide dedicated to improving education at all levels.
As a member of the Collaborative, announced today at an event in New York City, CityU is involved in advancing two programs: Sanford Harmony, which strengthens social and emotional development in PreK-6 children; and Sanford Inspire, which provides a growing resource of free and readily-accessible online teaching modules. The effort is part of a $30 million nationwide initiative that is based on the vision of philanthropist and entrepreneur T. Denny Sanford and administered by San Diego-based National University. CityU was selected based upon its status as a top producer of teachers in Washington State and having top ranked undergraduate and graduate education programs.
“As an institution noted for its innovative educator and leadership development programs, and one which is deeply invested in furthering the student experience, City University of Seattle is excited to participate in this national Collaborative.” said Richard Carter, President of City University of Seattle. “The Sanford education programs activate new teaching methodologies and place higher emphasis on encouraging students of all backgrounds to develop positive peer relationships, which in turn foster a better learning environment for students of all ages.”
The two research-based initiatives, Sanford Harmony and Sanford Inspire, were developed at Arizona State University over the past seven years. National University’s Sanford Education Center is overseeing the expansion of the programs to classrooms nationwide in conjunction with Collaborative members.
The programs’ advancement benefits greatly from Collaborative members’ regional ties between their schools of education and PreK-12 schools in the area. CityU will disseminate the PreK-6 Sanford Harmony program in the Northwest. The program encourages positive peer interactions among students through stories and interactive lessons that help schoolchildren learn about diversity and inclusion, and has been found to have positive impacts in strengthening math and reading academic performance, creating positive attitudes towards school and increasing empathy between children. The initial research findings by Arizona State University also identified reductions in gender stereotyping and classroom aggression as a result of the program. Decades of longitudinal research on social emotional learning indicate students taught these skills perform better professionally and academically throughout their lifetime.
CityU will also implement Sanford Inspire. Sanford Inspire provides free, easily-accessible online learning modules for in-service and pre-service teachers seeking ideas on how to inspire students through classroom activities and innovative approaches. These research-based modules and resources can be integrated into education programs and/or accessed directly by teachers in the classroom. Sanford Inspire also provides a framework for evaluating and developing teaching methodologies on a national scale. These tools are offered through the Collaborative and will be offered to schools in the Northwest via CityU.
The two programs combined provide a comprehensive approach to addressing education and societal challenges at the PreK-12 level, thus support the work of teachers and improve the lives of a new generation of students. CityU will also take on a research role, in addition to advancing the two programs, in contributing to further research around the Inspire and Harmony programs.
For more information about this offering through CityU, please visit http://www.cityu.edu.
About City University of Seattle.
City University of Seattle is a private nonprofit university accredited at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level. CityU is dedicated to serving the working adult and transfer student and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 30 for online bachelor degree programs, and among the top 20 online programs for Veterans in the U.S. It offers over 60 flexible program. Aside from offering these programs online and at its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, CityU has 28 sites around the world in Europe, Asia and North America. To learn more about CityU visit http://www.cityu.edu.
The Sanford Education Collaborative/National University
The Sanford Education Collaborative is a coordinated effort among participating schools of education to advance research-based programs that support PreK-12 student learning and development. Through online resources and classroom tools, the Collaborative provides immediate teaching solutions for in-service and pre-service teachers while serving as a framework for identifying and assessing impactful teaching methodologies. The Collaborative is administered through nonprofit National University, which confers the fourth largest number of master’s degrees in education nationwide, and its Sanford Education Center, which was established in 2014 through a generous gift by philanthropist and entrepreneur T. Denny Sanford. The inaugural members of the Sanford Education Collaborative are: National University (CA); Long Island University (NY); Nova Southeastern University (FL); City University of Seattle (WA); South Dakota State University; University of Maine; University of South Dakota; Touro College (NY); and University of Central Florida.
http://sanfordeducationcenter.org/education-collaborative.cfm
Tarsi Hall, City University of Seattle, http://www.cityu.edu/, +1 206-518-1843, [email protected]
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