The Education Foundation of Lake County proudly celebrated the inaugural graduating class of Lake-Sumter State College’s Bachelor’s in Elementary Education program at the Lake County School Board meeting on May 11, recognizing the graduates’ commitment to serving students and strengthening the future of education in Lake and Sumter Counties. The inaugural class included 23 graduates, 91% of whom completed a paid internship experience while maintaining an overall 3.57 GPA at Lake-Sumter State College. Collectively, the graduates impacted more than 1,500 K-12 students across Lake and Sumter Counties during their internship experiences.
Of the 23 graduates, 19 students served in Lake County Schools across 10 different schools during the spring semester. In recognition of the graduates’ accomplishments and their service to the school district, the Education Foundation provided financial support to cover the costs of the students’ final semester, specifically their internship credit hours. The Education Foundation is proud to reduce financial barriers for future educators entering the profession.
The students participated in a full-time internship Monday through Friday, assuming full classroom responsibilities under the guidance of supervising teachers and Lake-Sumter State College internship coordinators. Lake County School’s Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment department partnered with Lake-Sumter State College to place the students and pair them with site supervisors. Throughout the internship experience, students were responsible for lesson planning, grading, collaborating with colleagues, and working directly with families. They gained hands-on experience in all aspects of the teaching profession.
Program outcomes highlighted the impact of the internship experience:
- 100% of student interns said the program improved their effectiveness as an educator.
- 81% reported feeling better prepared to pursue a teaching career because of the experience.
- 100% said the mentorship provided by supervising teachers was valuable to their professional growth.
- More than half of the students have been hired in Lake & Sumter Counties for next school year.
The Education Foundation of Lake County’s support was made possible because of the 2025-2026 State of Florida’s School District Education Foundation Matching Grant facilitated by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. The foundation’s ability to leverage a 1:1 match for business, philanthropic and individual contributions to innovate learning and provide impactful support for our students and teachers is incredibly powerful for local fundraising efforts.
“This program aligns closely with the mission of the Education Foundation to connect the community to public education,” said Elizabeth Johnson of the Education Foundation of Lake County. “We are proud to support initiatives that attract, develop, and retain quality educators who will positively impact students throughout the school district.”
The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations has received legislative matching funds which provide a dollar-for-dollar incentive for local education foundations to raise private contributions for eligible projects for more than 20 years. Since the inception of the program, more than $173 million in combined private and state dollars has been provided for local projects that serve students, literacy initiatives, encourage STEM and career/technical education, increase classroom innovation, support teachers, and/or increase graduation rates.
The Consortium is the membership organization for Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations. Established in 1987, the Consortium connects individuals, organizations, and financial resources to build the capacity and effectiveness of local education foundations throughout the state in achieving student success. To learn more about the Consortium and the statewide impact of the program, visit www.educationfoundationsfl.org.
For more information about the Education Foundation of Lake County, scholarship opportunities, and how you can support the students and teachers of Lake County Schools, visit Education Foundation of Lake County.
