A Legacy Gift from Robert Gifford '40
The Albany Academies were thrilled to receive a $3 million legacy gift from Robert Gifford, one of the largest legacy gifts the school has ever received. Mr. Gifford, who died in 2018 at his home in Sarasota, Florida was born in Troy and graduated from The Albany Academy in 1940.
He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Harvard University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. After completing his education, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served the country for 30 years, ending his Navy career as a captain.
A large portion of the gift – $1 million – is being directed toward the newly created Gifford Faculty Innovation Awards, which will present five $10,000 awards annually to faculty members to help them bring new and innovative teaching ideas into the classroom. Faculty members will be required to complete an application and those will be reviewed by an external advisory board whose members will select grant recipients. Each grant will be made for one academic year and is intended to support the creation of a new program or piece of curriculum; $6,000 of each grant will be directed toward materials or training and the remaining $4,000 will supplement the teacher’s salary.
The Gifford legacy gift also will be used to support professional development programs and training for the Academies’ faculty. In addition, $1 million of the bequest will be dedicated to ongoing capital improvements on the campus.
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A large portion of the gift – $1 million – is being directed toward the newly created Gifford Faculty Innovation Awards, which will present five $10,000 awards annually to faculty members to help them bring new and innovative teaching ideas into the classroom. Faculty members will be required to complete an application and those will be reviewed by an external advisory board whose members will select grant recipients. Each grant will be made for one academic year and is intended to support the creation of a new program or piece of curriculum; $6,000 of each grant will be directed toward materials or training and the remaining $4,000 will supplement the teacher’s salary.
The Gifford legacy gift also will be used to support professional development programs and training for the Academies’ faculty. In addition, $1 million of the bequest will be dedicated to ongoing capital improvements on the campus.
Upper School Campus
Lower And Middle School Campus
Schellenberger Alumni/ae Center
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