Larry and Rebecca Collett Foundation Inc

We believe that it is never too early in our career to think about professional development. Investing in our teachers and educators is the best way to ensure both career growth and academic growth for our young leaders.

Even though professional development can take up precious time, here are a few reasons why professional development matters:

It sets teachers / educators up for success
It expands their knowledge base
It’s a confidence booster
Teachers / educators meet other teachers
It helps teachers / educators set & achieve their goals
Teachers / educators become a better teacher

Going through professional development courses will give teachers / educators skills they can use immediately, but more importantly it will help them grow professionally over time. A common misconception about professional development is that it only helps the individual. It’s important to remember investing in an educator will also help their students.

The more professional development teachers get, the more likely students are to succeed.

Whether it is a workshop, a conference, or a meeting, all teachers should take part in some form of professional development to set themselves up for success and we’re taking the cost of entry barrier out of the equation. It is our goal to cover the cost of professional development for teachers in our South Carolina region.

Effective professional development enables educators to develop the knowledge and skills they need to address students’ learning challenges. To be effective, professional development requires thoughtful planning followed by careful implementation with feedback to ensure it responds to educators’ learning needs. Educators who participate in professional development then must put their new knowledge and skills to work. Professional development is not effective unless it causes teachers to improve their instruction or causes administrators to become better school leaders.

The Larry & Rebecca Collett Foundation goal is to provide professional development for a minimum of 500 educators each year by covering the costs of the training through donations, scholarships, and certified training.