Preserving the Past  |  Investing in the Future

Supporting Children’s Education

The Lastinger Family Foundation bestowed its inaugural grant to the University of Florida’s College of Education and has supported a wide variety of enrichment initiatives ever since, recognizing that education is a critically important foundation for a meaningful and productive life.

UNF College of Education and Human Services

The University of North Florida’s College of Education and Human Services is committed to forming educators who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of their students and within their communities. In early 2021, the Lastinger Family Foundation donated $1.35 million to the University to provide scholarship funds for students pursuing careers in education. 

The University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning

The University of Florida’s College of Education is committed to preparing exemplary teachers who will not only guide their own students, but also collaborate with other educators to solve critical problems within their schools and their educational communities. In 1998, the Lastinger Family Foundation’s grant and a state match empowered the institution to create the Lastinger Center for Learning. This center enabled UF scholars to embed themselves in primarily urban, high-poverty schools and develop enhanced teaching practices and programs designed to boost student achievement. The center continues to inspire innovations in education and is increasingly recognized as a leader in the teacher quality movement.

Communities In Schools of Jacksonville – with INK and the Foundation for Rural Education

Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, INK and the Foundation for Rural Education Excellence are local nonprofits that support students by helping them reach their full potential despite any hardships they may be facing. The Lastinger Family Foundation gifted each of these organizations with funds to support their childhood literacy programs.

Cathedral Arts Project

The mission of the Cathedral Arts Project is to provide arts-rich education to local school-aged children through various visual and performing arts programs. The Lastinger Family Foundation’s partnership with this local nonprofit ensures underserved students have equal access to the arts community and can explore their own creativity and self-expression.

Eckerd Grant for Mentoring

Eckerd is one of the largest privately funded nonprofit youth and family service organizations in the United States. It offers a wide range of behavioral health, juvenile justice and child welfare services to help those who have faced an assortment of problems find a path to a “second chance.” The Lastinger Family Foundation’s grant to this organization gave children with incarcerated parents the opportunity to make the most of their own lives through a life-changing mentoring program.

First Light Maritime Society Educational Outreach

The First Light Maritime Society supports the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum in providing educational opportunities to the community. The Lastinger Family Foundation’s gift to this organization funded an informative maritime history exhibit as well as an interactive learning station at the St. Augustine Lighthouse.