Steven A. Kersten and his wife Priscilla Kersten have made a $25 million commitment to the University of Chicago in support of the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice’s Urban Education Institute. Steven Kersten, JD’80, is a University of Chicago Trustee, and Priscilla Kersten is a member of the Crown Family School Advisory Council.
The gift significantly expands UEI’s focus by increasing innovative research, training next-generation education leaders, and funding cross-disciplinary collaborations that strengthen schools and student outcomes. In recognition of this transformative gift, and the institute’s reenergized focus, UChicago has renamed UEI as the Kersten Institute for Urban Education.
Since its founding, the Urban Education Institute has focused on creating and sustaining reliably excellent urban schooling, through a combination of research, training, and the development of innovative tools for schools nationwide. This work includes the UChicago Consortium on School Research, which has informed significant and lasting improvements within the Chicago Public Schools and been replicated in urban centers across the nation.