UGA-school district partnership praised by national organization

The Professional Development School District, a partnership between the UGA College of Education and the Clarke County School District, was cited as "exemplary" by judges selecting regional winners of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award, presented by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).

The Professional Development School District was UGA's submission to compete with the nation's public universities for the annual awards. Although the project was not among the four regional winners that will be considered for the top prize, the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, UGA was one of only two institutions singled out as exemplary and will receive a plaque of recognition at the APLU annual meeting in September.

The partnership was honored earlier this year when it was one of a handful of university-school collaborations to win the NAPDS Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement from the National Association for Professional Development Schools. The award recognizes university-school district partnerships that "create and sustain genuine collaborative partnerships" and help shape future educational leaders.

Established in 2006, the Engagement Scholarship/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Awards recognize programs that demonstrate how colleges and universities have redesigned their learning, discovery, and engagement functions to become even more involved with their communities.