Osceola School District and UCF Receive $2.6 Million Federal Grant For Gifted Education

The Osceola School District, in conjunction with the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Community Innovation and Education, has won a federal Javits grant from the US Department of Education for $2.6 million over five years for Project GLIMPSE (Gifted Learning Infusing Marginalized Perspectives via Strengths Education). The U.S. Department of Education reviewed 47 applications and only funded 13 new grant awards, with Osceola being only the third school district in Florida to ever receive the highly-competitive grant. More so, only five awards this year went to school districts across the nation, with the rest being awarded to universities.  The principal investigator and project director for Project GLIMPSE will be Dr. David Maddock, a Research and Evaluation Specialist for the Osceola School District.

“Project GLIMPSE will enhance our schools’ abilities to identify giftedness in traditionally underrepresented student populations throughout the Osceola School District, and to better equip our schools for working with gifted students through a variety of means,” said Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace.  “It will also allow us to provide training at 14 school sites and funding for 12 employees to get further education at UCF in gifted studies to best support our students.”

“UCF will implement Project GLIMPSE through graduate-level training in Gifted Education, through professional development, consultations and team collaboration with Osceola School District principals, specialists, and teachers with expertise from faculty in Gifted Education, Exceptional Education, Educational Leadership, Counseling and School Psychology and Educational Technology,” stated Dr. Gillian Eriksson, UCF Gifted Education Program Coordinator, Learning Sciences and Educational Research.

The Javits grant is the largest competitive grant in the field of gifted education. The purpose of this program is to carry out a coordinated program of evidence-based research, demonstration projects, innovative strategies, and similar activities designed to build and enhance the ability of elementary schools and secondary schools nationwide to identify gifted and talented students and meet their special educational needs.