Stanford University School of Education

Barnum Family Center for School and Community Partnerships

barnum

In September 2005, Stanford alumni Bill Barnum (AB '76, MBA '81, JD '81) and Donnalisa Barnum (AB '81) gave $3 million to SUSE to create the Barnum Family Center for School and Community Partnerships. The new Center, opened in October 2006, is housed in the former Career Development Center at the heart of the Stanford campus, next to the bell tower.

The building houses the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute, the School Redesign Network, and the Stanford Center for Adolescence. According to Dean Deborah Stipek, "The new Center is a place where Stanford researchers and practitioners in the community can work collaboratively to improve schools and communities and create better opportunities for positive youth development."

Residents of Southern California, the Barnums have been life-long Stanford donors and volunteers. "When I heard about the opportunity to create the Center, I felt it was a perfect match with three of our family's top priorities -- family, Stanford, and education. As I see it, the Center will be a 'lab' for improving teaching and generating innovations that can be replicated in schools and classrooms," Bill said.

The Barnums' gift made possible the extensive renovation and expansion that was necessary after the building was damaged by an electrical fire three years ago. Originally built in 1913, the building has a long history on the Stanford campus, having served as the first bookstore until 1960 and as Sticky Wilson's, a candy store. Construction was completed in September 2006, with the replacement of the 1984 addition with a new two-story structure and addition of two courtyards. The Center completes an "education triangle" with SUSE's two existing buildings, Cubberley and CERAS.

To ensure the future impact of this innovative work, gifts are needed in many forms and at many levels. For more information, contact Rebecca Tseng Smith, Associate Dean for External Relations, at (650) 723-1383 or Rebecca.t.smith@stanford.edu.