Businesswoman Sheila C. Johnson, an advocate for the protection of children and co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), has pledged $5 million to the Curry School of Education to establish a center for human services at the school.

The Sheila C. Johnson Center of Human Services will bring together the most significant outreach efforts of the Curry School, serving more than 7,500 children, adults and families annually. The gift was announced today at a news conference in the office of Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, also an ardent supporter of early childhood education.

"I want to thank Sheila for her generosity and her commitment to spreading opportunity - especially when it comes to educating our youngest citizens," he said. "Both her vision and her leadership are extraordinary, and the University and the Commonwealth are grateful for her willingness to commit to this exciting partnership."

In thanking Johnson for her gift, University President John T. Casteen III said, "Sheila Johnson's generous gift reflects her commitment to children in need and will enhance the most critical public services that the Curry School of Education offers. The Curry School's clinics assist thousands of children, students and adults each year.

"The new center will enable the school to reach even more persons in need. This gift will also help us equip our students with what Thomas Jefferson called 'useful knowledge' - knowledge they will use to educate young people in the years ahead."

"The work that is being done at the Curry School of Education is extremely important to the well-being of children and families." Currently a member of the Curry School Foundation Board, Johnson continued, "So many children struggle with learning disabilities in our society and are misdiagnosed. The Curry School will provide a place for children, parents and families to get the help they need."

David Breneman, dean of the Curry School, believes the new center will be a major addition. "Through the work of these clinics," he said, "thousands of Virginia citizens will be helped to realize their educational potential."

The center will be housed on the main floor of the Curry School's new building, Bavaro Hall, set to break ground in 2007. The locale will make the clinics a more visible part of the University and make them more accessible to the public.