Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence
The Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence supports teacher education students and alums in their development as excellent educators across the educator lifespan.
The Efaw Center provides individualized attention, focused learning communities, and special event programming for all teacher education students.
Success services focus on academic assistance and enrichment, peer connections and community building, and referrals with follow up to existing campus resources. The Efaw Center acknowledges that barriers to academic success can be addressed through proactively offering a holistic approach to support services. Further, the Efaw Center embraces ISU values related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and collaborates closely with the EDI Officer.
Efaw staff work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students across campus who interact with teacher education students to support the teacher education student and leader lifespan.
Contact
Find the Efaw Center on the garden level of DeGarmo Hall, room 0019
You may also contact Dr. Becky Beucher, Director, at:
rlbeuch@ilstu.edu | 309-438-2041 | DeGarmo 341
Spring Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Tuesday: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 11:00am - 3:00pm
Services offered online and in-person
Upcoming Events
Coming Soon!
Services
Content Test Preparation
Content test preparation resources are now available online through the Efaw Center ReggieNet site. Students who have registered for a practice test session will automatically be enrolled in the site. If you're not registering for a practice test session but would like to be added to the ReggieNet site, please email coe_mckitto@ilstu.edu .
Learning Communities
Attend a learning community focused on general test taking strategies, test anxiety, and reviewing practice test results.
Tuesday 3:00 - 4:00pm in-person
Thursdays 5:00 - 6:00pm on Zoom
Register on Redbird Life
Friday Practice Test Sessions
Meet with Efaw Center staff to prepare for and take a practice content test. Appointments are available every Friday 11:30am - 3:00pm with in-person and Zoom options.
Register on Redbird Life at least 24 hours before your desired date.
Note that all students are eligible for one voucher to take the practice test for free.
Yoga for Teacher Education Students
Relax, refresh, and destress every other Wednesday with the Efaw Center for Educator Excellence. We encourage you to attend in conjunction with attending the content test prep activities connected to the Efaw Center. This is an in person only event with registration capped at 15. Register early to guarantee your spot!
Register on Redbird Life
One-on-One Student Support Meetings
Self-referrals are welcome! Faculty or staff can also refer a student.
Please click on the button below to connect a student with the Efaw Center for Educator Excellence. Zoom and in-person options are available.
During this appointment, Dr. Beucher, or a member of the Mindful Mentor team will meet with the student. We will discuss goals, strengths, barriers and areas for development and growth. Together, we will develop a plan of action. This plan may include continued meetings with members of the Efaw Center and connection points to other partners across campus.
Meet with Efaw Center Mindful Mentor team
Meet with one of the Peer Academic Liaisons (PALs)!
As a student, you can make an appointment for yourself with one of the PALs. The PALs can support you directly or get you connected with the right person for the services in the table below. PALs also offer general homework help and study skill support. PALs appointments can be made in advance or attended during drop-in hours while the center is open on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Book an appointment with Ashley
Book an appointment with Kendy
Book an appointment with Cristabel
Book an appointment with Rachel
Graduate Writing Fellows
As a graduate student, you can make an appointment for yourself with one of the writing fellows. The writing fellows can support you with proper citation, developing your writing style, organizing your writing, literature reviews, and more!
Book an appointment with Viraj
Book an appointment with Shishi
| Academic | Mentoring | Holistic & EDI | Practicum/Clinical |
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*referral services to units/centers/services across campus
Current Collaboration Partners
Career Services
Center for Civic Engagement
Dean of Students
Department of Educational Administration and Foundations
Department of Psychology
Graduate School
Health, Wellness and Promotion
Honors College
Milner Library
National Center for Urban Education
Office of Financial Aid
Office of International Engagement
Student Access and Accommodations
Student Counseling Services
Study Abroad
School of Teaching and Learning
Special Education Department
University College
Visor Center
The Efaw Family
Barbara ’59 and Larry Efaw ’56, M.S. ’59 supported Redbird educators for many years. In 2021, Barbara and her family generously gifted the College of Education $500,000 to establish the Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence.
Barbara and Larry met at ISU and were both active students while on campus. Passionate about literacy, education, and family, Barbara became an elementary educator, mother, and grandmother and Larry, a father and grandfather, served as the Executive Director for the Library Book Selection Service in Bloomington, Illinois. The Efaws credit their experiences at Illinois State for their success in education.
