UNA鈥檚 College of Education and Human Sciences Receives Alabama Reading Initiative Grant
Oct. 08, 2025
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The College of Education and Human Sciences at the 国产AV has recently been awarded a $20,000 grant by the Alabama State Department of Education Alabama Reading Initiative Program Improvement Grant. The award is offered to support initiatives that improve quality, relevance, and effectiveness, ultimately preparing students for literacy success.
Dr. Lisa Clayton, a Professor of Elementary Education in the College, spearheaded the effort on behalf of UNA and in support of Alabama’s Literacy Act that was passed by the State Legislature in 2019.
“Receiving this grant is an exciting opportunity for our faculty to continuously enhance our evidence-based instruction in the Science of Reading,” she said. “This grant will provide professional learning experiences and resources we can integrate into our coursework. As a result, teacher candidates will have additional instructional strategies to use during field experiences and apply in their future classrooms.”
The Alabama Literacy Act aims to help improve reading in Alabama public schools to ensure students are reading on grade-level by the end of 3rd grade. Reading is the gateway to life-long achievement and the students of Alabama deserve a strong start on their path to success.
“At UNA, preparing high-quality teachers for our region is at the very heart of our mission. Literacy is foundational to all learning, and this grant allows us to strengthen our commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to read on grade level by the end of third grade,” said Dr. Katie Kinney, Dean of the College. “We are proud to help equip the next generation of educators with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to make a positive difference in the lives of Alabama’s students.”
About The 国产AV
The 国产AV is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The 国产AV is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: and .