A nearly $10 million gift to the University of Montana College of Education aims to keep new teachers in Montana and improve mental health in public schools.
UM College of Education leader Dan Lee says the donation will help the university tackle two major challenges facing Montana schools.
“When we heard about the gift, we were just over the moon,” Lee said.
First, the donation will establish the “Institute for Positive Education” within the college. A 2023 survey of Montana public high school students found more than 40% reported lasting feelings of sadness or hopelessness. The new program at UM will teach educators techniques to strengthen their own wellbeing, and how to pass those skills on to their students.
The gift will also fund an incentive to keep high-performing UM teaching graduates in-state. Lee says students who qualify for the award will have a third of their college debt wiped out for each year they spend teaching in Montana after graduation.
“We think it will move the needle for providing really quality teachers out in the field and quality counselors out in the field,” Lee said.
Lee says the scholarship will help 12 teaching and 8 counseling students in its first year, and should run for at least another 7 years.
The Institute for Positive Education and the scholarship program are both set to launch later this year.