Audra Parker, Professor and Elementary Education (ELED) Academic Program Coordinator, College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), received funding for: “Elementary Education Program Professional Development School (PDS).”
The partnership engages seven elementary schools in three pathways to partnership—collaborative inquiry, clinical practices, and partner schools—each of which supports field hours and internship students in the elementary teacher preparation program. This mutually beneficial partnership simultaneously supports undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates’ growth, in-service classroom teachers’ and university-based faculty’s professional development, PK-6 student learning, and ongoing inquiry.
The partnership between George Mason’s Elementary Education program and Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS) PDS sites supports teacher candidates (student interns) and pre-internship/field hours students from both the Master of Education and Bachelor of Special Education programs.
Parker received $2,090 from Loudoun County Public Schools for this project. Funding began in Sept. 2025 and will end in Sept. 2026.
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George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.