East Carolina University receives $2 million donation

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - East Carolina University’s College of Education has received a $2 million donation to help children learn to read better.

The donation comes from the C.D. Spangler Foundation and will fund a Distinguished Professorship of Early Child Literacy at the university.

The funds will cover the costs of the professor’s salary, research expenses, and program support.

Dr. Adam Rouse with the college says they hope to fill the position over the next year. He says the new professor will work with ECU students and professional K-12 teachers in the area to develop strategies to help kids read better early on and prepare them for later success.

“If they start behind, it’s typically difficult to get them caught up,” Rouse said. “So these best practices in early literacy will really help give us an edge and an advantage on how to get our children where they need to be in literacy.”

ECU is one of four state universities receiving similar gifts.

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