LPWire: CSUN Dedicates The Michael D Eisner College of Education

California State University, Northridge Dedicates the Michael D. Eisner College of Education

University Renames College in Honor of Disney CEO and His Family in Recognition of Major Gift to the University California State University, Northridge (CSUN) renamed the University's College of Education today in honor of Disney Chairman and CEO Michael D. Eisner. The occasion marks the first time in its history that CSUN has named a college after an individual.

Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, speaks at a dedication ceremony for The Michael D. Eisner College of Education at California State University, Northridge on Thursday, April 24, 2003 in Los Angeles. The school was renamed to honor a gift from The Eisner Foundation establishing the Center for Teaching and Learning, which will offer educators a new and innovative approach to childhood learning.

University officials dedicated The Michael D. Eisner College of Education at a ceremony attended by Eisner, his wife, Jane, and their sons Breck and Eric. The renaming commemorates a $7 million grant that The Eisner Foundation, which was founded by the Eisner family in 1996, made to CSUN to establish the Center for Teaching and Learning. The Center's focus is an innovative teacher-training program that offers educators a new approach to understanding and managing differences in childhood learning. The gift is the single largest donation in the University's history. Among those honoring the Eisners at the CSUN ceremony were U.S. Representative Brad Sherman, California State Senator Richard Alarcon, California State Senator Jack Scott, Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla and L.A. Council Member-Elect Tony Cardenas.

"Teachers in the classroom represent the human connection between us and the next generation of Americans," Eisner said. "By providing thousands of teachers with new skills so they can identify the unique ways children learn, CSUN will ultimately be helping millions of American children to reach their true and full potential in life."

Congressman Brad Sherman (second from left) presents Michael D. Eisner, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, (far left) with an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol as (left to right) his wife, Jane, and sons Breck and Eric look on. The Eisners were honored at a ceremony dedicating The Michael D. Eisner College of Education at California State University, Northridge, on Thursday, April 24, 2003 in Los Angeles.

California Governor Gray Davis commended the Eisner family for their support of CSUN and students throughout California in a welcoming letter that opened the program. "Their outstanding contributions will provide the training to help our teachers unleash the potential of countless students. The Michael D. Eisner College of Education will benefit students and our state for years to come."

At the dedication ceremony, Congressman Sherman presented the Eisner family with a U.S. flag that had been flown over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. State Senators Alarcon and Scott, L.A. Council President Padilla and Council Member-Elect Cardenas all thanked the Eisners for their commitment to education.

Cal State Northridge's College of Education prepares more teachers than any other public university in California and is known nationwide for its exceptional and innovative programs. CSUN's Center for Teaching and Learning will serve as a regional teacher-training site in Southern California for Schools Attuned, a professional development program that focuses on understanding differences in childhood learning. Its programs will provide teachers and future teachers with a greater understanding of how attention, memory, language and other neurological functions impact a child's ability to learn.

The Eisner Foundation grant enables CSUN to incorporate philosophies pioneered by noted education expert Dr. Mel Levine throughout the College of Education's curriculum. Levine is a professor of pediatrics and director of the Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, and co-chair of All Kinds of Minds, a non-profit institute for the study of differences in learning. The Foundation's gift also provides training programs for teachers currently in the field and will establish a student assessment center where children can be evaluated using Dr. Levine's methods.

"This is the first time we've ever named a college after an individual," said CSUN President Jolene Koester. "We are doing so in part because of the generosity of the gift from The Eisner Foundation, but also in recognition of Michael Eisner's dedication to ensuring that the men and women who pass through our doors have the skills they need so all our children have an opportunity to succeed."

The Eisner Foundation provides financial support to organizations that undertake innovative and concrete programs designed to enhance and enrich the lives of children who are underserved, or who have learning differences, and their families. The Foundation recognizes that all aspects of a child's life are linked to their community including personal health, economic stability, appropriate mentors, living conditions and educational opportunities. Specific information on The Eisner Foundation can be found at www.eisnerfoundation.org.

--Posted April 25, 2003
Source: The Eisner Foundation