The Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust has awarded the School of Education at DePaul University a $320,000 grant for the LINK-INitiative Program for the second consecutive year. The LINK-INitiative, implemented in 2002, is a unique model of teacher education training and professional development that adopts the Professional Development School standard.

Professional Development Schools are partnerships between schools and universities, with the goal of preparing new teachers, continuing professional development for practicing teachers, maximizing student achievement and improving student and educator development.

“We are grateful for The Chicago Community Trust’s support of the LINK-INitiative Program,” said Catherine Larsen, LINK-INitiative program director. “The grant enables us to provide optimum sites for pre-service teacher training, offer in-service professional development and enhance teacher and student learning.”

The LINK-INitiative, DePaul’s model of the Professional Development School in action, applies current state and national recommendations for the improvement of pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade education. The program will improve the core educational areas of literacy, mathematics, the sciences and the arts.

In 2005, the grant helped support the organization of the LINK-INitiative structure and administration, as well as the formation of teacher groups. This year the funding will concentrate on stronger program implementation and the review of each participating Professional Development School’s action plan.

Through this partnership, schools become an important part of DePaul’s teacher and education program, and the university is an integral part of the school environment. The LINK-INitiative involves four Chicago public schools, two Chicago Catholic schools and DePaul faculty from the School of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Music and The Theatre School.

For 90 years, The Chicago Community Trust has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. In 2005, the Trust made more than $82 million in grants and awarded its billionth dollar in January of 2006. From strengthening community schools to assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust continues to enhance the region. To learn more about the Trust, please visit the web site: www.cct.org.

DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the nation and the 10th-largest private, not-for-profit university in the United States. A richly diverse population of 23,148 students attends classes on two city and four suburban campuses.

Established in 1962, the School of Education offers undergraduate and graduate level programs. Central to its community commitment is the preparation of dedicated professionals for teaching assignments in urban and multicultural environments. More information about the school is available on its Web site: education.depaul.edu.