2017 News Stories

USF College of Education announces State Farm gift to Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education

Tampa, FL (May 3, 2017) — The University of South Florida (USF) College of Education is pleased to announce that State Farm has awarded $20,000 to the Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education in support of the Center's K-12 Teacher Financial Education Workshops with a particular emphasis on the Center's financial literacy education program.

A presentation of the gift was made during a State Farm sponsored "financial literacy" workshop at the Stavros Center on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Including the recent donation, State Farm has given $118,000 in financial support to the Gus A. Stavros Center in recent years.

"We are very grateful for the strong support the USF Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education has received from State Farm over the past several years," said Dr. Dick Puglisi, Director of the Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education. "We commend them for their view that the professional development of K-12 educators in 'financial literacy education' and other appropriate "global literacies" is essential in providing our nation's youth with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage their financial matters."

During the 2016 academic year, more than 1,700 K-12 educators participated in a myriad of professional development programs offered by the USF Gus A. Stavros Center. Many of those programs received funding from State Farm to cover a range of expenses, including instructional costs, curricula materials and other outlays related to workshops.

Teachers who participate in State Farm sponsored workshops conducted by the Stavros Center frequently enter the Governor's Awards program sponsored by the Florida Council on Economic Education and are recognized for the exemplary instructional lessons in "economics education."

"This is, of course, wonderful news and congratulations are in order," said Dr. Roger Brindley, Interim Dean of the College of Education and USF System Vice President of USF World. "What speaks volumes to me, however, is that State Farm has contributed consistently over time. This affirms the value as a business they see in supporting the Stavros Center."

About the USF College of Education:
The USF College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (formerly NCATE), and is fully approved by the Florida Department of Education. The USF College of Education is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 100 programs in the nation, as well as in the top 30 for online graduate education programs. The USF College of Education has more than 51,000 alumni who are making a difference in the lives of children each day.

About State Farm®:
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit the State Farm website.