NINA B. HOLLIS INSTITUTE
Working Today to Change the Schools of Tomorrow. The Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform is a comprehensive learning community. In collaboration with local community leaders, district personnel, educational agencies and Stetson University faculty, the Institute has created a model for reform that supports education. Through research and pedagogical assistance, the Institute provides assistance in developing research-based best practice in-service workshops and events to educators, families, businesses, universities and policymakers for the advancement of teaching and learning.
Impact Awards
Impact Awards provide seed funding to support research that expands the boundaries of education.
AwardsCommunity
Institute supported community outreach programs like Professional Development Schools (PDS) and the Hollis Leadership Center
OutreachMission
It is the mission of the Nina B. Hollis Institute at Stetson University to stimulate innovations for the advancement of all learners, particularly birth through grade 12 and non-traditional students relating to creating educational opportunities for all students through research and applied partnerships. The Institute focuses on outreach and dissemination to address ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations and other factors contribute to or perpetuate lower educational aspirations, achievement and attainment for affected groups of students.
Vision
The Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform serves as a catalyst to positively impact K-12 education through inquiry, research, evaluation and professional practice. The Institute works collaboratively with educators, families, businesses, universities and policymakers for the advancement of teaching and learning.
History
The Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform was endowed by Mark Hollis in 2000 in memory of his mother, who was an avid reader and supporter of education. The Institute's early work was to develop local incubation projects to test innovative ideas that would positively impact K-12 classrooms, with specific attention to closing the opportunity gap for children in marginalized settings.
Since its inception, the Institute established many innovative initiatives, including one of the first co-taught (special education and general education) classrooms in the Central Florida area, a co-teaching model that reflects innovative teaching practices, the first public kindergarten single-sex classroom in the country, and an after-school program that focuses on STEM, literacy and the arts. The Institute's work in the area of single-gender pedagogy has been showcased throughout the United States, Japan and Europe. Moreover, the after-school program has been used as a model for other schools and districts.
The Institute also managed a federal T-3 Grant (Technology in Teacher Training) that transformed how local teachers and students used technology and brought the first smart classrooms to Stetson. In addition to researching and supporting innovative teaching practices, the Institute has developed professional development workshops for in-service teachers and district leaders throughout the nation and has been instrumental in creating research protocols for Institute projects. The Institute continues its mission to stimulate innovations for the advancement of P-12 education through research and applied partnerships.