Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, has announced a $3 million grant from the Florida Charities Foundation in support of a new theater and dance complex.

Made in recognition of the college's stewardship of its educational offerings during the coronavirus pandemic, the grant will support construction of a state-of-the-art home for student-run performances at the school. To adapt to the new pandemic educational environment, the college reconfigured indoor classrooms, created outdoor classroom space, and, in some cases, deployed a hybrid virtual/in-person learning approach so that students could pursue their studies without interruption.

"Much of America's young lost a year of intellectual growth due to shuttered in-person classes this year," said Philip Tiedtke, who serves on the school's board of trustees and is a trustee of the Florida Charities Foundation. "Select institutions like Rollins College that found a way to give students what they needed should be recognized and rewarded."