As we look to the future, we draw from our past to propel the center to its next level of operational excellence. Three overarching strategic goals frame the Lastinger Center’s work: 1) optimizing educator impact, 2) scaling our reach and 3) sustaining our work.
Since its founding in 2002, the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning has focused its work on bringing the aspirations of founders Allen and Delores Lastinger to life, seeking partners and committing resources to improve teaching, learning, and childcare throughout the state of Florida and beyond.
Under the leadership of Dr. Phil Poekert, the Lastinger Center strategically narrowed its scope in 2018 to address three critical developmental milestones: kindergarten readiness, reading proficiency by third grade and Algebra 1 proficiency by ninth grade. Our focus on the development of scalable, high-impact programs set the stage for exponential growth and launched the center into a new era of improving teaching, learning, and childcare, and advocating for meaningful and substantive innovation in the education system.
Download the Lastinger Center 2022-2025 Strategic Plan
Mission
The University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning improves the quality of teaching, learning, and childcare. We research, develop, and scale equitable educational innovations for adults and children that put all learners on trajectories for lifelong success.
Goals
Impact
The Lastinger Center has a proven record of impacting educator skill and student learning. We aim to further elevate our ability to help educators and students increase their knowledge and skills.
Scale
We currently reach over 50,000 educators and one million students across 26 states each year. By 2025-2026, we aim to directly and indirectly serve over 2,500,000 students across the United States.
Sustainability
The first 20 years of the center’s work were built through strategic opportunism. We are now transforming our business model to support strategic operations that sustain long-term implementation of programs and effect change over time.
Core Values
Equitable
We seek to identify and mitigate factors that limit access to high quality educational opportunities for all learners.
Responsive
We listen and respond to interests, challenges, and goals of the individuals and communities we serve to design learning experiences that meet their needs.
Research-Based
We use research and best practices to design engaging, high-quality learning experiences.
Collaborative
We develop partnerships and incorporate stakeholder feedback to create the best possible outcomes for the communities we serve.
Technology-Enhanced
We leverage technology to create scalable, innovative learning experiences.
Sustainable
We design learning experiences whose impact can be sustained and scaled by working at system levels.