Florida Education Fund Inc

TO PROMOTE GREATER INSTITUTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS

MCKNIGHT DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM:ESTABLISHED IN 1984, THE FLORIDA EDUCATION FUND'S MCKNIGHT DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE PH.D. IN HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED, CRUCIAL DISCIPLINES AND FIELDS OF STUDY WHERE AFRICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICANS HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY ENROLLED AND COMPLETED DEGREE PROGRAMS. SOME 1,539 FELLOWSHIPS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO AFRICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICANS PURSUING THE PH.D. DEGREE AND THE PROGRAM ENJOYS AN IMPRESSIVE NEAR 87% RETENTION RATE WHICH INCLUDED 381 MATRICULATING FELLOWS AND 954 GRADUATES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)PRESENTLY 60 FELLOWS HAVE ADVANCED TO CANDIDACY. 70 FELLOWS GRADUATED IN 2022. 50 NEW MCKNIGHT FELLOWSHIPS AND 17 DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS WERE AWARDED FOR FALL 2022 TO STUDENTS PURSUING STUDIES AT ONE OF 9 PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. EACH FELLOWSHIP CONSISTS OF TUITION, FEES, AND STIPEND.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE:ESTABLISHED IN 1985, THE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE (COE'S OR CENTERS) ARE COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES WHOSE MISSION IS TO IDENTIFY AND MOTIVATE HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED MINORITY ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS AND ULTIMATELY INCREASE THE POOL OF THESE STUDENTS MOTIVATED AND QUALIFIED TO ENTER COLLEGE. THIS MISSION INCLUDES: A) ASSUMING A MORE PROACTIVE STANCE IN THE EDUCATION OF YOUTH; B) EMPLOYING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUP ACHIEVEMENT MODEL FOR DISADVANTAGED ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS; AND, C) INCREASING THE POOL OF STUDENTS WHO ARE PREPARED, MOTIVATED AND QUALIFIED TO ENTER HIGHER EDUCATION.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)NINE CENTERS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA HAVE MORE THAN 19,000 HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS INTO THE NATIONAL ACHIEVERS SOCIETY. APPROXIMATELY 16,000 STUDENTS HAVE COMPETED IN THE ANNUAL BRAIN BOWL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITIONS. APPROXIMATELY 11,992 HAVE PARTICIPATED IN SAT PREPARATION AND/OR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING COURSES, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER CAMPS.

MCKNIGHT JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM:THE MCKNIGHT JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM PROMOTES EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH BY UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND WOMEN. TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF EARNING TENURE AND PROMOTION, FELLOWS RECEIVE A ONE-YEAR SABBATICAL WITH FULL SALARY AND BENEFITS. DURING THE SABBATICAL, FELLOWS ARE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE IN RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROJECTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR EFFORTS TO SECURE TENURE AND PROMOTION. WHILE THE PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITY PAYS THE FELLOW'S SALARY, THE FEF PAYS THE UNIVERSITY $15,000 TO ASSIST WITH NECESSARY TEACHING REPLACEMENTS AND SUPPORT COSTS. SINCE 1984, THE FEF HAS AWARDED 254 JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS TO AFRICAN AMERICANS, WOMEN AND OTHER HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THIS INCLUDES FIVE NEW JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS FOR THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR. THE MCKNIGHT JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ADVANCES FACULTY DIVERSITY WITHIN FLORIDA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. OF THE 254 FELLOWS AWARDED SINCE 1984, 93 HAVE OBTAINED TENURE OR PROMOTION OR HAVE EARNED DOCTORAL DEGREES.