Newswise — WASHINGTON – APA fellow David G. Myers, PhD, and his wife, Carol, have donated $1 million to the American Psychological Foundation.
“This extraordinary gift from David and Carol Myers continues their long history of generosity to the psychology field,” said APF President Terry Keane, PhD. “Their support is transformative for the teaching of psychology in high schools across the country.”
The purpose of the gift is to establish a fund, which will support and strengthen the teaching of psychological science in secondary schools. The Myerses specifically want to support the American Psychological Association’s Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools. The TOPSS Committee will make recommendations about the use of the fund through APA’s Education Directorate.
The fund was established to “express our appreciation, admiration and support for teachers of psychology in secondary schools,” according to Myers.
David Myers is a professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan and the author of 17 books, including some of the most popular psychology textbooks.
The types of activities that may be supported through the gift include:
• Summer teaching institutes held throughout the United States and abroad;
• Professional development opportunities for high school psychology teachers;
• Keeping high school teachers informed of best teaching practices;
• Public education campaigns to promote the benefits of introduction to psychological science in high school and the importance of psychology to high school students;
• Promotion of psychology as a science in high school;
• Outreach and support to high school psychology teachers to share APA and TOPSS teaching resources and opportunities with high school teachers;
• Revision and continued development of TOPSS unit lesson plans or other teaching resources; and
• Support for webinars, innovative technology tools and other forms of online learning to promote high-quality teaching of psychology at the high school level.
TOPSS’s mission is to promote the highest standards in the teaching of psychology as a science and discipline; promote professional development and other means for lifelong learning for high school teachers of psychology; increase professional identity and promote leadership for high school psychology teachers of psychology; facilitate networking among teachers from all teaching levels of psychology; encourage recruitment and retention of students in the field of psychology; enhance the visibility and legitimacy of high school psychology; and recommend the appropriate advocacy, education policy and certification issues that impact the quality or visibility of teaching of high school psychology.
APF’s mission is to provide financial support for innovative research and programs that enhance the power of psychology to elevate the human condition and advance human potential both now and for generations to come.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives
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