Focus on Giving

Celebrating Two Generous Gifts

Two gifts of $500,000 each have helped the College of Education’s Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development make major headway in its $2.5 million fundraising campaign to celebrate the center’s 25th anniversary in 2013.

David and Connie Belin’s children donated $500,000 to support the center’s Belin Family Professional Development Program. The gift continues to honor the late David and Connie Belin, who helped found the center in 1988. 

“The Belin family truly believes in the importance of preparing teachers in the area of gifted education,” said Nick Colangelo, center director.

The second $500,000 gift is from Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan to support the center’s Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan Arts Program, which honors an arts teacher each year and provides scholarships to approximately 25 gifted arts students to attend the center’s annual summer program.

“These are tremendously caring and visionary people who want to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers,” Colangelo said. “Thanks to these endowments, we can continue the programs for a long, long future.”