Grewcock Center at Grace U. Opens

9/16/05

GREWCOCK CENTER AT GRACE U. OPENS;

FIRST TEACHER ED PROGRAM IN 10 YEARS

Teacher education in Nebraska got a huge shot in the arm this week, as the Grewcock Center for Excellent in Teaching was dedicated at Grace University in inner-city Omaha, 1311 S. 9^th St. It's the first new teacher-education program in the Cornhusker State in 10 years, and it was approved earlier this month by the Nebraska Department of Education.

Major benefactors are Kiewit executive Bill Grewcock and his wife Berniece. They have endowed a number of key civic and charitable projects in Omaha at the zoo, the Children's Museum and countless other places. They are important education philanthropists, including major funding for Michigan's Hillsdale College, the one that's famous for excelling academically without receiving a dime of federal dough.

With its emphasis on content delivery rather than edu-fads, the Grewcock Center at Grace U. is going to be turning out fantastic new teachers, and it's exciting to see. They'll be focusing on elementary, secondary and science instruction, with endorsements in 10 program areas, including English as a Second Language, music, social sciences, and business.

Other key donors are University of Nebraska Regent and Tenaska, Inc., founder/CEO Howard Hawks and his wife, Rhonda, and First Data Resources executive vice president Mike Whealy and his wife Brenda.