May 22, 2008

Pictured at the Fresno State Teachers Honor Wall are Kremen School professor Don Wise, right, with educators Misty Her and Stephen Morris.

The Teachers Honor Wall at California State University, Fresno that holds commemorative bricks is near capacity with 1,700 bricks. Plans for a second wall to continue the tradition are under way, officials  announced today (May 22).

The milestone and announcement will be part of a ceremony at 6:15 p.m. today (May 22) in observance of the recent National Teacher Day and to kick-off the second wall brick campaign. Funds raised will help the Kremen School of Education and Human Development prepare more teachers.

The event is open to the public, including a reception at 5:30 p.m. that will feature stories about some of the teachers, administrators and friends of education honored on the current wall.

Dr. Jeri Echeverria, provost and vice president of academic affairs, will be joined at the wall by Beth Dooley, the chief executive officer of the Educational Employees Credit Union, one of the original sponsors, and Dr. Peter Mehas, a member of the California State University board of trustees. Mehas is the former superintendent of Fresno County Office of Education, which purchased many bricks to honor recipients in its “Educators of the Year” program.

The wall, a 76-by-4-foot structure, is located in the Gottschalk’s Plaza at the entrance of the Kremen School building on Maple and Shaw Avenues. Construction costs for a second wall are estimated at $40,000 to $60,000 and would be paid for through donations.

The first wall was erected in 2000 so interested individuals could honor or thank an educator who made an impact on them. The bricks are engraved with the educator's name and the honoree receives a commemorative certificate. An electronic directory inside the lobby of the building indicates location of names on the wall.

Administrators, educators, and friends of education are eligible for inclusion on the Teachers Honor Wall. Brick donations are $100 and can be ordered online (see link below).

“This project helps today’s prospective teachers to become tomorrow’s outstanding educators,” said Dr. Paul Beare, dean of the Kremen School. “All the bricks represent special people who are educators or support education. What better way to honor an educator than to raise money to train future educators?”

Funds from the bricks are used to purchase interactive electronic equipment for the off-site training of teachers and students throughout Central California.

For more information about the event or to purchase a brick, call 559.278.0205.