Centers, Institutes & Projects
Our centers, institutes, funded projects and partnerships advance education through research, innovation and collaboration.
Working in 20 Florida school districts
From the Panhandle to Miami-Dade, see where our units partner across the state.
Explore the mapDavid C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching
Works with K-12 teachers and school leaders to restructure schools and the teaching profession, improving education quality and educator retention. Runs ~60 professional learning offerings/year, including the AP Summer Institute — the third largest in the world.
Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education
Advances teaching of free enterprise, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial thinking in K-12 curricula across six school districts (Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota).
Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy
Nationally recognized research and training institute providing technical assistance to school districts and service-delivery leaders nationwide, focused on safe, effective school environments and family/community engagement.
School Mental Health Collaborative (SMHC)
Facilitates access to high-quality, evidence-based school mental health practices statewide and nationally - positive psychology intervention, suicide prevention, threat/violence reduction, mental health assessment. Approved Provider for the Florida Board of Psychology; Florida Office of School Psychology; Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling; the National Association of School Psychologists; and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Strategic Plan 2025-2030 goals: Lead Impactful Research, Disseminate Evidence-based Practices, Provide Technical Assistance, Strengthen Partnerships, and Increase National Leadership & Impact.
Center for Migrant Education
Joins with local, state, and national agencies and organizations to improve education and related services for migrant children and their families through the development and study of programs and training addressed at special needs. Runs two flagship programs: CAMP, which supports migrant/seasonal farmworker students through their first year of college, and HEP, which helps students from migrant backgrounds earn a high school equivalency credential and transition to postsecondary settings.
Project
Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program
Postsecondary education program for young adults with intellectual disabilities — college coursework, campus life, career prep, and up to $7,000 in scholarship support per student.
Project
Project 10: Transition Education Network
Florida's statewide discretionary project building school-district capacity for secondary transition services for students with disabilities, serving as the conduit between FDOE/BEESS and district personnel.
Project
SEDNET — Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (Admin Project)
Statewide administration project supporting 19 regional SEDNET projects — a multiagency network building district capacity to serve students with or at-risk of emotional/behavioral disabilities.
Project
Arts4All Florida
Statewide nonprofit providing arts education and cultural experiences for and by people with disabilities — school and juvenile-justice programs, an artist registry, exhibitions, and professional-development workshops.
Partnership
STAGES (Successful Transition After Graduation for Exceptional Students)
District transition program giving young adults with disabilities college-campus experience, career exploration, public-transit training, and self-advocacy skills — a model for district-university collaboration.
Preschool for Creative Learning (PCL)
Serves as a model early childhood lab school and site to demonstrate, observe, study, and teach exemplary early childhood practices. Serves ~80 children ages 2–5 (children of USF students, faculty, staff, and community members) using an inquiry-based approach, while doubling as a clinical training site for USF's Early Childhood Education teacher-preparation program.