Housed in the University of Florida College of Education, the Lastinger Center for Learning improves the quality of teaching, learning and childcare.
For two decades, we’ve been creating innovative programs that significantly improve student learning and achievement. Children and their success are at the heart of our work. Our team of over 100 associates focuses on creating products and solutions that enhance key milestone areas such as kindergarten readiness, literacy proficiency by third grade and algebra proficiency by ninth grade.
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06/17/2026
40,000 Literacy Micro-Credentials since 2023! Congratulations to the educators who completed this part of their professional learning journey. 🎉 🙌
Plus, shoutout to our dedicated instructors and team members that support achievements like this! 💙
06/17/2026
At the Florida Department of Education’s Summer Literacy Institute, we had the chance to talk about all things literacy with hundreds of educators. Across our presentations, we shared ready-to-use tools for literacy instruction, insights from our New Worlds Reading and Florida Tutoring Advantage initiatives and so much more!
(P.S. Want to be the first to know when apps open for our literacy programs? Check out this post’s comment section for the link to our interest form.)
06/12/2026
Hear from our literacy team Thursday, June 18, at 12 p.m. as they share research, instructional strategies and other resources about supporting student reading comprehension as part of our free webinar series. Learn more and register at lastinger.link/Webinar-6-12-26-SM
06/08/2026
Summer is here, which means so is New Worlds Reading’s professional learning for teachers!
We had a blast meeting so many educators last week in Osceola County while providing Science of Reading resources and other literacy instruction insights.
Next up, we’re headed to Broward County!
06/04/2026
Read the latest update from our Director Phil Poekert to learn more about our free professional learning webinars, hear from Florida Tutoring Advantage participants and explore new Science of Reading opportunities:
Phil's Update Read the latest update from Lastinger Center Director Phil Poekert as he shares program updates, recent accomplishments and upcoming opportunities.
05/21/2026
This spring, our team was all around Florida and the country sharing the Center’s work with educators, community organizations, families and other partners. With more conferences and events coming up, we hope to see you this summer!
05/18/2026
Early childhood leaders and educators: strengthen the skills that matter most for kindergarten success by joining us for a free webinar next Tuesday, May 26, at 11 a.m. (EST). Led by our literacy experts, this webinar features exclusive content from our new Early Literacy Foundations program.
Learn more and RSVP at lastinger.link/ELF-Webinar-5-26-SM
05/13/2026
As part of the AIMS EduData Initiative, we recently welcomed researchers from all around the country to the University of Florida College of Education!
From researching professional learning engagement to understanding teacher motivation to predicting learning outcomes, these professionals have been collaborating with our mathematics team to improve learning experiences within our Math Matrix Micro-Credential.
05/06/2026
Calling all Florida early childhood and district leaders! 📣
We are launching a new professional learning program for preschool educators. In just 15 hours of in-person learning, participants gain foundational literacy knowledge and evidence-based strategies to strengthen oral language and literacy instruction.
Learn more about how you can bring this opportunity to your staff by scheduling one-on-one time with our Early Childhood Partnerships Coordinator Kenneth Buchanan: lastinger.link/SM-KenB-Bookings
05/06/2026
Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day! Thank you, educators, for all that you do in and out of the classroom to support students and families.