Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Leading National Advancement of Sanford Education Programs in South Florida

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla., June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Nova Southeastern University is leading the advancement in the South Florida region of two innovative PreK-12 education programs that provide a comprehensive approach to student learning and development. The research-based initiatives, based on the vision of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, are being introduced nationwide through the recently-created Sanford Education Collaborative, announced today, which is comprised of nine universities around the country.

As a member of the Sanford Education Collaborative, Nova Southeastern University is involved in disseminating the Sanford Harmony Program, which strengthens positive peer relationships among PreK-6 children, and Sanford Inspire, which provides a growing resource of free and readily-accessible online modules on inspiring teaching approaches.

The efforts are part of a $30 million nationwide initiative that is administered by San Diego-based National University, which confers the 4^th largest number of master's degrees in education every year. Nova Southeastern University received $520,000 for the initiative and was chosen because of the exemplary reputations of its Abraham S. Fischler College of Education (FCE), Mailman Segal Center for Human Development (MSC) and University School. NSU is one of only 37 universities, out of more than 4,000, that has the dual Carnegie classification of both "high research" and "community engaged" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Abraham S. Fischler College of Education (FCE) is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for its initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator programs at all university locations and online.

Unique in its mission and focus, NSU's Mailman Segal Center for Human Development is one of the nation's largest and most highly respected, comprehensive early childhood demonstration and training facilities. In addition, Nova Southeastern University is one of the few universities in the nation that houses a premier JuniorK-12 college preparatory program on its campus, the University School.

"We are honored to have Nova Southeastern University (NSU) recognized as part of the Sanford Higher Education Collaborative, and to support the vision of T. Denny Sanford," said Dr.  George Hanbury, President and CEO of Nova Southeastern University. "This is a tremendous opportunity for us to enhance hundreds of children's lives by showcasing the Sanford Education Programs at our Mailman Segal Center for Human Development, the University School, and the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education."

The purpose of the expanded partnership between NSU's Abraham S. Fischler College of Education (FCE) and the Sanford Higher Education Collaborative is to develop and deliver quality, convenient, and innovative professional development content that is embedded within certification opportunities to in-service and pre-service teachers in the most convenient, flexible format possible.  FCE will integrate Inspire content within coursework for the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science teacher education programs to prepare P-12 educators and faculty with Inspire-based innovative teaching strategies and best practices in teacher education.

The Mailman Segal Center for Human Development (MSC) will serve as NSU's premier showcase for preschool Harmony programs. The University School will develop a PreK-12 School of Inspiration that will be implemented at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year for grades 6 –8 with the potential to positively impact up to 600 middle school students through Inspire training and content.

The research-based initiatives, Sanford Harmony, and Sanford Inspire were developed at Arizona State University over the past seven years, and National University's Sanford Education Center is now overseeing their expansion through the formation of the Collaborative.

Nova Southeastern University will help disseminate Sanford Harmony, which encourages positive peer interactions among all students through stories and interactive lessons. The program has been found to have positive impacts in strengthening academic performance in math and reading, positive attitudes towards school, and increasing empathy between children. Initial research findings by ASU also identified reductions in gender stereotyping and classroom aggression.

Nova Southeastern University will also help disseminate Sanford Inspire, which provides free, easily-accessible online learning modules and curriculum resources for in-service and pre-service teachers seeking ideas on how to inspire students.  Inspire principles can be aligned with school of education curriculum, and the initiative provides a framework for evaluating and developing inspiring teaching methodologies on a national scale.

The implementation of the Sanford Education Harmony and Inspire programs support NSU's Vision 2020 through activities that will directly impact the areas of teaching, research, service, and learning.

About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and first-professional degrees levels.  An independent, not-for-profit institution with approximately 25,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida as well as  San Juan, Puerto Rico and online globally.  For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.

About Nova Southeastern University's Abraham S. Fischler College of Education: Serving more than 8,000 students in approximately 40 countries, Nova Southeastern University's Abraham S. Fischler College of Education is one of the largest schools of education at an accredited university in the United States. When we opened our doors more than 40 years ago, we shattered the barriers of traditional learning, causing a ripple effect that can still be felt today. Online, On-site, Or on our modern, 18-acre campus in North Miami Beach, Florida, our ideas, our approach, and our programs—found nowhere else in the nation—inspire our students to inspire the people around them to move the world. For more information, please visit www.fischlerschool.nova.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

SOURCE Nova Southeastern University

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http://www.nova.edu