The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation has made a $10 million gift to the University of Montana College of Education and Human Sciences to expand and complete the Education Center.

College Communications and Outreach Manager Peter Knox said the $10 million gift is one of the largest in the history of the college and the university.

“It’s truly a transformational gift and one of the largest in our college’s history,” Knox said. “It’s the second phase of the project that started with a previous gift from the foundation in 2009, and this is the completion of that building program. We’re getting increased instructional spaces in our learning and belonging preschool, we’re getting a new auditorium, as well as some instructional spaces for our department of counselor education and the Montana Digital Academy.”

Last year, the Alice Lee Lund Charitable Trust made a $5 million gift toward the auditorium, and significant contributions also have come from Montanans Betsy and Warren Wilcox and Maureen and Dan Rovig.

Knox said the work has already begun to expand the college complex, and completion is expected by December 31, 2018.

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