The Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence supports education students and alums in their development as excellent educators across the educator lifespan. The Efaw Center provides individualized attention, focused learning communities, and event programming for all education students. The Efaw Center acknowledges that barriers to academic success can be addressed by proactively offering a holistic approach to support services. Further, the Efaw Center embraces ISU values related to equity, diversity, access and belonging (EDAB) and is involved with promoting these campus and college initiatives in the center and through our collaborations. Efaw staff work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students across campus who interact with education students.
Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence
Undergraduate Student Support
Mentoring
Connect with an Efaw Center staff member who can support you in accessing campus resources. Engage with a thought partner, address areas for professional learning outlined in the Professional Expectation Review (PER), to get support around organization, time management, punctuality and attendance, conflict resolution, communication, and/or constructive criticism. Fill out the connection form for yourself or your student to get started!
Workshops & Canvas Modules
The Efaw Center offers professional learning workshops and Canvas modules for undergraduate education students on a variety of topics related to teacher educator professionalism
Educator Alumni Mentor Program
This program is open to all education students and all education program areas. Designed for students seeking leadership development, this mentorship program matches education students with educators working in the field.
Upcoming Events
Hours
Study with us! Now serving snacks and tea!
Monday-Thursday 9am-12pm and 1pm-5pm. We are closed from 12-1pm for lunch.
Friday 10:30 am-3 pm
April
Licensure Exam Workshops
ILTS/ Content Test licensure exam preparation workshop #3: ILTS Vocab Vault (March 31)
ILTS/ Content Test licensure exam preparation workshop #4: Reading the Test Questions (April 07)
ILTS/ Content Test licensure exam preparation workshop #5: Test Taking Anxiety (April 14)
Success and Destress Week
Monday, 4/27, 11am-noon: Pawfficer Korg & Sergeant Gardner visiting in the Efaw Center
Tuesday, 4/28, 1pm-2pm: Pawfficer Korg & Sergeant Gardner visiting in the Efaw Center
Wednesday, 4/29,1pm-3pm: Pop-up Study & Cookies on DeGarmo Plaza
Thursday, 4/30, 10am-noon: Craft & Sip in the Efaw Center
Please visit Redbird Life and search Efaw Center events to RSVP for these events.
If you need an accommodation to fully participate in a program/event, please contact Dr. Becky Beucher, Director of the Efaw Center. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
Recruiting Now! Educator Alumni Mentorship Program
Are you interested in being matched with a Mentor (FA 26/SP 27) who is a graduate from an ISU education program? If so, complete the Interest Form and learn more about the program on the Educator Alumni Mentorship subpage.
Now Hiring for Fall 2026/Spring 2027!
Efaw Center Peer Academic Liaison/ Peer Tutor (3 positions)
Efaw Center Graduate Student Assistant (2 positions)
Campus Partners and Student Resources
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.