Thursday, April 22, 2010

In the spring of 2010, the Watson School of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is celebrating several significant events in its history. It has now provided educator preparation programs to the region for 55 years, been an official school of education for 30 years and been housed in the state-of-the-art Education Building for 5 years.

To commemorate these events, the Watson School invites the public to come to an Open House from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 27 to help honor the school's past and inspire its future. The event, to be held in the Education Building Atrium, will include a tour of the building, a tour of the Watson School's extensive art collection, a research showcase on Films that Teach and an international showcase in the Betty Stike Education Lab.

"This is an important time in the Watson School to celebrate our history and chart our future," said interim dean Karen Wetherill. "Our programs for prospective and practicing educators have grown exponentially over the years and are recognized nationally for their high quality. We encourage members of the community to come to visit and see what the Watson School of Education has to offer."

Building tours will take visitors through the three-story, 80,500-square-foot building with a sky-lit atrium, which houses the Watson School of Education and Regional Educational Resource Center. The tour will include classrooms, the Educational Lab's unique setting for after-school tutoring for children, distance learning and computer labs and the NC Teachers Legacy Hall, which celebrates the development of the education profession in the state.

Parking for the Open House will be in Lots I and H. For more information, visit the Watson School's web site at www.uncw.edu/ed/

In addition, the Watson School invites all retired educators in the region to attend an Alumni Chapter Meeting and Retired Educators Forum from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, April 29 in Education Building 162. The school plans to bring together retired educators on a regular basis to seek their opinions and help them stay in touch with current issues in the profession.

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu