A List
5/20/02

GIFT FROM BURT FAMILY TO FUND EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT SLU

CANTON - The family of a St. Lawrence University alumna has made 
a gift to the University, establishing the Ellen Cuthbert Burt '42 
Endowment for North Country Education.  Initially, it will be used 
in consultation with the family to fund:
	- An annual symposium at St. Lawrence on the intersection of 
issues in economic development, environmental protection and education
	- University/school partnerships in science, mathematics and 
environmental education based in the Wachtmeister Field Laboratory, 
the centerpiece of the University's  Integrated Science Education 
Initiative, involving annual summer in-service experiences for North 
Country science and mathematics teachers
	- Scholarship support for North Country teachers and 
administrators seeking and needing further graduate-level education
- Support for a new initiative with Clarkson University to establish 
the Educational Leadership Academy of Northern New York (ELANNY), 
whose focus will be educational leadership, rather than educational 
administration
	The kick-off for the University's collaboration with the Burt 
family will occur on campus during Reunion, May 30-June 2; this year 
marks Ellen Cuthbert Burt's 60th Reunion. "Education in the North 
Country" will be a special focus of the weekend, with two forums on 
education to be held on Saturday, June 1.
	The first will address teaching and teacher preparation by 
asking, "What gaps must be filled in the ways that teachers serve 
today's students, especially in New York's North Country, and how 
should teacher preparation and/or teacher professional development 
be modified to close the gaps?" The second will focus on educational 
administration and school leadership, discussing the question, "In 
what ways can school leaders best influence today's students' academic 
and social development in our schools, especially in New York's North 
Country?" Each forum will have panelists drawn from alumni and 
recognized experts on teaching and school leadership.  
	St. Lawrence University President Daniel F. Sullivan commented, 
"We are extremely grateful to the Burt family for this wonderfully 
generous gift, the timing of which could not be better. The faculty of 
the education department have been engaged with others at the University 
for over a year in strategic planning for how St. Lawrence's education 
programs, which already play an important role in the region, could 
help ensure the continued vitality and effectiveness of the North 
Country's public schools in the face of imminent retirements by large 
numbers of teachers and administrators. With the assistance of the 
Ellen Cuthbert Burt '42 Endowment for North Country Education, we plan 
to work in close partnership with teachers and school leaders to make a 
difference for North Country schools."
	In a letter to President Sullivan, the Burt family writes, "We 
all feel deeply connected to the unique beauty and force of the 
St. Lawrence River and natural resources as well as the people of this 
region. However, we are also keenly aware of the real issues facing the 
economy, education and the environment of one of the most economically 
challenged counties in New York State. We unanimously agreed that 
building an association with St. Lawrence University would begin to 
address some of these very real challenges.  We believe that an endowment 
established to address the needs of education in the North Country will 
in turn support the economic and environmental concerns of the area that 
carry equal weight in our minds."
	Ellen Cuthbert Burt, of Guilford, Connecticut, born and raised in 
Ogdensburg, received her degrees in early childhood education and was 
active in education for more than 30 years.

-30-

Back To News Releases
Back to St. Lawrence Homepage