Professor Garfield: Welcome to the Teacher's Lounge

The Professor Garfield Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational collaboration between Paws, Inc., the global headquarters for Garfield the Cat, and Ball State University, a nationally recognized leader in teacher training and digital education.

Our mission, therefore, is to be a world leader in the direct, free delivery of innovative and motivational digital learning content with a primary emphasis on children’s literacy.

Initially, we will accomplish this by creating fun and educationally sound interactive activities and games where kids like to play -- on the Internet -- supplemented with standards-based resources for teachers, parents and mentors.

Within ten years, we believe our edutainment site will be regarded as the leading free resource and authority in literacy as demonstrated by visitors, measurable outcomes, and global impact.

To blend humor with the power of the Internet as an educational tool, Jim Davis came upon the idea of the Professor Garfield learning portal. Jim knew that three key ingredients were necessary to establish a solid foundation for the effort:

For the first element, Jim knew that he could draw upon the resources of the creative powerhouse of Paws, Incorporated, the company he formed to own, manage, and direct the worldwide "Garfield" entertainment property, boasting the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world, and a licensing operation that reaches over 100 countries with more than 400 license agreements.

For the second and third elements, he needed to look no further than his alma mater, Ball State University. Ball State has both the capability and the commitment to guide the content development process and to enrich the product through its expertise in educational technology. The combined technology capacity of Paws and Ball State University bring to this product an unparalleled level of excellence.

The partnership between PGF, Paws, and Ball State guarantees that academic legitimacy is achieved in an entertaining format. The foundation has been set for a revolutionary educational experience for children of all ages. Paws provides exclusive licensing rights for use of the "Garfield" characters by this independent not-for-profit corporation, together with creative support, the intent and purpose of which is the establishment of the premier Internet portal with a free and enjoyable pathway to learning for children, parents, mentors, and educators. Ball State University will be primarily responsible for the selection and development of the educational content and assessment methodologies.

With 950 full-time faculty and 20,600 graduate and undergraduate students, Ball State is a Carnegie Research Level I Intensive University with areas of excellence in teacher education, computer science, telecommunications, and digital media

The University’s expertise and long tradition in teacher education will ensure that ProfessorGarfield.com delivers an effective curriculum that is pedagogically sound. The University will provide the academic guidance and pedagogy to make sure that the content of the Professor Garfield website represents the very best academic curricula in the digital context along with appropriate assessment criteria. In addition to enrolling their staff and state-of-the-art technology, they will involve both graduate and undergraduate students in the development of Professor Garfield.

In addition, Ball State University is an international leader in digital technologies for education, as evidenced, for example, by its Center for Media Design (funded by two $20 million grants from Lilly Endowment), Teachers College (home of “the electronic field trip” sponsored by Best Buy), and “Digital Middletown” (a demonstration project testing exceptionally powerful broadband access connecting schools and homes in neighborhoods).

Paws, Incorporated is the creative force behind the worldwide "Garfield" entertainment property. Being the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world, Garfield is the perfect character to assist with interactive and off-line engaging educational content. Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, has long held the belief that the comics are not only a way to a child’s heart and funny bone, but also a student’s brain. He has received literally thousands of letters expressing surprise and gratitude for the ability of Garfield and his humor to "hook" kids on reading and help struggling students.

Working side by side with educators for over 40 years, Pearson Digital Learning is the leader in technologies for proven, comprehensive curriculum, assessment, and enterprise data management. They have helped raise achievement for over 20 million learners in 50,000 schools worldwide and have contractually committed to showcase their Knowledge Box curricula on the Professor Garfield website. It is a digital learning system that lets students see, hear, learn, and do. It leverages the best digital media to teach reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies for pre-K through 6th grade students.

The Schwab Learning Foundation aspires to help kids with learning and attention problems such as learning disabilities (LD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) to lead satisfying and productive lives in an environment that recognizes, values, and supports the unique attributes of every child. They have developed a very innovative and interactive website called Sparktop.org. Schwab Learning has integrated its entire website’s content into the Professor Garfield initiative.

Garfield and the National Institutes of Health have created a complete educational module that promotes the benefits of getting a healthy night’s sleep. NIH felt that this was very important since so many children are going to school without getting the proper amount of sleep and cannot concentrate in class. Through a series of games and activities, Garfield teaches children the value of getting enough rest to maximize their productivity.

Scholarship America is the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other educational assistance programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. In FY2002, Scholarship Management Services distributed more than $113.4 million to more than 73,700 students through more than 900 sponsored programs. Dollars for Scholars is a national volunteer network of over 1,100 grassroots scholarship foundations in 40 states and the District of Columbia that raise funds and provide financial and academic support for local students. In 2001, $44.2 million was raised with $21.9 million awarded in local scholarships, with the remainder invested primarily in endowments for future scholarships. ScholarShop is a curriculum and resource center designed to motivate and prepare 7 – 12 grade students for a future that includes postsecondary education. ScholarShop includes ScholarShop Jr.®, for 4 – 6 grade students, and ParentShop®, a series of interactive workshops to help parents understand career and college exploration. Over 10,000 students participate in ScholarShop at more than 185 locations in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Thus far, Scholarship America has committed to providing $550,000 worth of online content from their ScholarShop Jr. program to the Professor Garfield website.

Music is a universal language, and ProfessorGarfield.com features an outstanding advocate of children's music in the United States, Red Grammer. Red has been recording children's albums since 1983 and is a former member of the Grammy-nominated folk trio, the Limelighters. His recordings for children have been honored by Parents' Choice with a Classic Children's Audio Recording Award -- an award few albums ever achieve. Red has a unique talent for conveying messages of hope and giving voice to children's feelings -- entertaining, inspiring, and educating with every beat.

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Winner of the
2008 Editor's Choice Award
Children's Technology Review

Winner of the
2008 W3 Silver Award
Best Animation

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For Teachers in the US