Education at Illinois

When a family needs guidance on dealing with a complex issue like skill development, autism, or limb differences, finding the right resources can be tough. The Illinois Early Learning project is celebrating 25 years as that resource for families throughout Illinois and continues to develop resources for evolving needs.

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While the story of Ada Lovelace is inspiring and shows off her natural talent for math and science, a new study from Educational Psychology at Illinois’ Jessica Gladstone finds that biographies that show off an innate skill may actually discourage students instead of inspiring them.

Story in the comments ⬇️

Congratulations to Riley Parks, a secondary education graduate, on being one of seven Illinois students to receive a Fulbright grant. Parks will use her Fulbright award to teach English in Taiwan.

Recent Grad Earns Fulbright Grant Recent Grad Earns Fulbright Grant Jul 21, 2026 11:30 am by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Riley Parks, LAS ’26, Secondary Education, was one of seven University of Illinois students selected to receive a Fulbright Grant as part of the U.S. Student Program.She will use h...

A new study co-authored by Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois assistant professor Erica Mason and published by the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs highlights the importance of the new Illinois Comprehensive Numeracy Plan to improve math achievement for Illinois Students.

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Report Urges Illinois to Close Gaps in Math Achievement and Boost Outcomes Report Urges Illinois to Close Gaps in Math Achievement and Boost Outcomes by Kristen Chandler, IGPA / Jul 15, 2026 A new report co-authored by Special Education assistant professor Erica Mason highlights the importance of the new Illinois numeracy plan and three public policy levers to support the....

Congratulations to Fleda Mask Jackson, Ph.D. '91 Educational Psychology at Illinois, on receiving the 2026 Illinois Alumni Diversity and Inclusion Award.

Jackson is a national expert on maternal mental health, researching stress and depression as risk factors for pregnancy outcomes. She will be honored at the awards ceremony in October.

Mask Jackson Named 2026 UIAA Diversity and Inclusion Award Winner Mask Jackson Named 2026 UIAA Diversity and Inclusion Award Winner Jul 13, 2026 2:30 pm by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Fleda Mask Jackson, M.S. '77 ACES Ph.D. '91 EPSY, has been named the Diversity and Inclusion Award winner for the 2026 University of Illinois Alumni As...

Congratulations to our Fighting Illini Athletics student-athletes who have accomplished so much on the field of play and in the classroom:

🥎 Adisyn Caryl - Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (4.0), Academic All-Big Ten
🏐 Kenzie Cogan - Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (4.0)
⚾️ Jack Zebig - Academic All-Big Ten

Education Athletes Earn Big Ten Honors Education Athletes Earn Big Ten Honors Jul 13, 2026 2:15 pm by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Three education majors have earned high marks in the classroom while competing in the Big Ten.Two student-athletes were named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for the 2025-26 schoo...

As an undergrad, Katie Davenport couldn’t get enough of her Principles in Teaching Literature to Children and Youth course. She frequently emailed instructor Karla Möller with ideas and questions. Now a Ph.D. student, Katie is still close with Möller, and she is teaching the course that shaped her.

From Taking the Course to Teaching It From Taking the Course to Teaching It by Tom Hanlon / Jul 14, 2026 Katie Davenport with Dean Chrystalla Mouza receiving the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award at the College's Awards Ceremony in May 2026Katie Davenport, once an undergraduate student in Karla Möller’s Principles in Teaching Lite...

Congratulations to one of the founding organizers of the Youth Literature Festival, Nancy P. O’Brien, on receiving the Outstanding Public Engagement Award from the University Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

YLF's O'Brien Receives Outstanding Public Engagement Award YLF's O'Brien Receives Outstanding Public Engagement Award Jul 7, 2026 2:00 pm by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Nancy P. O'Brien, one of the organizers of the Youth Literature Festival (YLF) and Head of the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL) has been....

OneOp will host the no-cost, four-week professional development series, Military Family Readiness Academy, in August.

The Academy is designed for a broad professional audience to explore strategies for building partnerships, strengthening local systems, and improving support for military families.

OneOp to Host Military Family Readiness Academy OneOp to Host Military Family Readiness Academy Jul 7, 2026 12:15 pm by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images The Military Family Readiness Academy, hosted by OneOp, will focus on Building Strong Communities for Military Family Readiness through a no-cost, four-week virtual prof...

Back in 2002, Oliver Tapaha and Jennifer Johnson met as young educators in the Native teacher preparation cohort. Fast forward 20 years, and they are researching their “dream project” as assistant professors.

How they’re exploring the program that shaped them and Indigenous research methods:

Early Career Scholars Awarded Grant to Study Long-Term Impact of Native Teacher Preparation Program Early Career Scholars Awarded Grant to Study Long-Term Impact of Native Teacher Preparation Program by Ashley Lawrence / Jun 24, 2026 Two decades after completing a groundbreaking Native teacher preparation program together, College of Education at Illinois faculty members Jennifer Johnson and Olive...